Fetch
by PurdyBaby
Summary: When Inuyasha accidentally proclaims his love of Kagome to none other than Kikyo, things get ruff. *COMPLETE*
1. Fetch - Chapter One

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"WHAT THE HELL WAS **_THAT_**?! WHAT DID YOU **_DO_**?!" InuYasha cursed as he ran - for the first time _ever_ \- away from an opponent when he wasn't even injured or the night of the new moon. His entire body trembled violently as wave after wave of overwhelming nausea coursed through him. Muscle and bone twisting angrily - painfully rearranging themselves into grotesque shapes as his steps faltered and he finally succumbed to the darkness.

"You dare pick her over me," Kikyo laughed haughtily as she knelt down beside the convulsing, transforming and unconscious hanyou, "Even though you're a half-demon you still thought she'd have you but you're an animal. You've always been one. It's time you understood your place."

"Kagome," he rasped incoherently - consciousness returning for but an instant as he furrowed his brow and twitched grotesquely before he was forced to finish in his mind, ' _I need you. Please."'_

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"Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo" Kagome huffed in frustration as she threw her backpack angrily onto the floor before mimicking InuYasha poorly as she stomped around her room, "Why do you care I'm going to see her? _Again_. Don't say anything bad about Kikyo. Kikyo was good at firing a bow. Kikyo was cuter than you. _Way_ cuter. Kagome you're stupid. I'm going to be possessive of you around other men because I'm insecure. I don't want you but I don't want anyone _else_ to want you."

Picking up a pillow, Kagome buried her face and screamed before flopping down on her bed and staring dejectedly at the ceiling, "Why can't he be nice to me for _once_? Telling me that I can't _possibly_ be mad that he was going to see that clay pot. I _can_ be mad. He doesn't _own_ me. Why does he even _care_? _Stupid_ InuYasha. _Stupid_ Kikyo."

Yet again he'd gone to see Kikyo. She was nearby so _naturally_ he had to go see her even though she hadn't summoned him. Like a lost puppy who finally found his owner he'd trot after her without so much as a word to the rest of them and then come back acting like nothing was wrong – if anything he seemed in a better mood than when he left.

"Probably going to make out with her," Kagome muttered to herself bitterly as she gestured idly at her ceiling as she rolled her eyes, "For all he complains about how _I_ smell, even _I_ can smell _her_. Like rotten eggs and dead fish. And yet he must think she smells _so_ much better than me."

Glancing at her bedroom window, she gave it a withering glare before lolling her head back towards the ceiling. Any minute now he'd come crawling in that window bitching about her delaying the mission because she got butt hurt about him going to see Kikyo. Any minute.

Closing her eyes, Kagome took a long steadying breath through her nose before sighing and trying to relax her tense muscles. In that moment, she swore she could almost hear his voice. Like he was right there in the room with her.

 _'I need you. Please._

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A day passed. Two days. One week. Two weeks. One month. One month he'd been gone without so much as a word to her or the others. In a way, Kagome felt like she was dying – her heart officially shattered beyond repair – the only solice was that Kikyo's soul had not returned to her. The question was whether it would if she did end up dragging Inuyasha to hell like she planned to do so long ago. That hadn't been her goal or even mentioned for such a long time that she'd almost forgotten. Almost. With him gone though….and the last thing he had done…

"Something's wrong," Kagome murmured more to herself than the others as she drew her knees up to her chest, "He wouldn't just leave without saying anything. Not for this long."

"I agree," Miroku sighed heavily as he poked the dwindling embers and adding dry leaves until it burst into flame once more, "I suggest we seek out Kikyo. I doubt highly that she has passed on."

"How can we really find her though?" Sango asked quietly as she furrowed her brow, "She's excellent at barriers and we don't have anyone who can track him by scent alone."

"What am I? Chopped liver?!" Shippo protested haughtily as he puffed out his chest and took an important looking stance, "I bet I can find him."

"Either way, the scent is probably a month old at least," Sango pointed out as she chewed the inside of her cheek and cocked her head to the side before glancing at her oldest companion, "It might be better to use Kilala in this instance as she can cover more distance in a shorter span of time."

"What concerns me is that we have heard no reports of any hanyou seeking jewel shards since his disappearance," Miroku spoke softly, "No sightings. No attacks by Naraku. Something is definitely amiss."

"Wherever he is….I hope he's alright," Kagome sighed quietly as she stared off into the distance at nothing in particular. With that statement, everyone exchange uneasy glances before focusing their attention on the dwindling flames.

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It was humiliating. Beyond humiliating. Not only was he trapped inside a dog's body but he was being led around on a spiritually charged leash. His youkai was wildly raging out of control like a mentally ill man who had stopped taking his medication and it was everything he could do to keep his wits about him. Every once in a wild he went rabid but Kikyo would shock him – painfully – into submission with spiritual energy. Just enough to damage and stun but not kill. He had lost a considerable amount of weight over the past month – his ribs clearly visible beneath the silver fur covering his tiny body. His hair was falling out from stress and…and Kikyo didn't even care.

She forced him to choose. She threatened to take Kagome's soul back. She threatened to kill her. All so they could be together. She'd told him and he'd snapped. Said some things he probably shouldn't've and before he could stop himself, proclaimed that he loved Kagome. That he'd die before he let anything happen to her. Given the circumstances, that was probably the wrong thing to say. She'd immediately grabbed his arm as he turned away. In that instant pain like he had never known had seared through his veins as he felt his skin begin to bubble. At first, he'd assumed she was trying to purify him but it soon became quite clear it was something else entirely. And now he was a dog. A cute, fluffy itty bitty dog. If dogs would cry, he would have wept but….but if being a dog….being forever chained to this…this beast was the only way to keep Kagome safe he'd _deal_.

Still, he couldn't help but beg every deity he could think of to somehow help Kagome find him. Even if he spent the rest of his days as a dog…he wasn't a man who asked for very much in life… _but_ he'd really like to see her one last time. He honestly didn't think that was too much to ask.


	2. Fetch - Chapter Two

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In the hours Kagome laid within the confines of her sleeping bag, she must've woken at least six times. By the time she dozed off again, she'd snap back awake in a endless cycle of un-refreshing chunks. With each disturbance, she was having the same nightmare over and over and over.

Inuyasha sitting before her – looking dangerously thin, weary and drained….almost as though he was dying –staring at her with a mixture of disbelief, happiness and hope as he whispered quietly, "You're back. You came back." He'd rush at her and embrace her so tightly the wind would be knocked straight from her lungs until he pulled back – his amber eyes drinking in her face like he wanted to memorize every detail before he frowned and sighed in a resigned tone as he placed a gentle kiss on her temple, "I know you'll find me. You _always_ find a way to bring me back. Just… _hurry_ …"

It was a sick joke. Utterly sick. The worst part of all was how _real_ it felt and how utterly defeated he looked in her dream. What was _wrong_ with her?! Why – of all the looks she'd ever seen on his face – was she envisioning one she'd never seen before?! Groaning in frustration, she buried her face in her hands before devolving into tears. She missed him. Terribly. Every second they spent looking for him without the slightest hint of his whereabouts felt like an eternity. It felt like her chest was hollow and there was a maddening buzzing in her mind. Always buzzing, buzzing, buzzing with chaotic, panicked energy as she tried to stay calm and put on a strong face for her friends. It was at night that her semi-hysterical mind played games with her. Realistic, utterly cruel mind games.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango whispered quietly from her place a slight distance away – propping herself up on one elbow and her face a mask of concern, "You were talking in your sleep again."

"Was I?" Kagome murmured dejectedly as she lolled her head to look at her friend, "What'd I say this time?"

"Find me," Sango replied as she chewed the inside of her cheek before she sighed and repeated herself dejectedly, "You whispered _find me_."

"It was the same dream again," Kagome replied with heavy sigh, "He's looking worse though. He's looking so thin and I swear it looks like his hair is falling out."

"Have you considered it's not a dream?" Miroku suddenly chimed in quietly – making both women jump and whip their heads in his direction, "Perhaps his soul is calling to yours. Have you ever tried asking him a question? Perhaps where he is?"

Shaking her head slowly, Kagome opened her mouth to reply before quickly shutting it. It had never occurred to her to try asking any questions. Furrowing her brow, she propped herself up to look at Miroku more fully in the face as she asked, "Why reach out to me? Why not you or Sango?"

"The answer is _obvious_ ," Miroku replied as though even a blind man would be able to see it, "He _loves_ you and you _love_ him."

"No he _doesn't_ ," Kagome snorted incredulously as she flopped back into her sleeping bag before murmuring miserably to herself, "He loves _Kikyo_. Maybe he thinks I'm her. _If_ it is real…which I'm _not_ saying it _is_ …but…"

"Next time you have a dream ask him where he is," Miroku replied wearily - knowint arguing with her was as futile as beating his head against a stone wall - as he closed his eyes, "Now everyone go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

Sighing heavily, Kagome nodded as she tried to get comfortable again. Once more, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and she began to drift off when once again the dream returned.

"That was fast," the dreamworld Inuyasha breathed excitedly as he rushed at her and pulled her into an embrace, "It's only been…"

"Where are you?" Kagome asked – her voice slightly muffled by the firerat robe- pulling back slightly to search his face, "If this is real, tell me where you are."

"We're near Kyoto I think," Inuyasha replied breathlessly as he ran the backside of his hand down her face and smiled sadly at her, "I hope you recognize me. What am I saying? Of course you will."

Waking up with a startled gasp, Kagome sat bolt upright – her hands trembling as she placed one against her racing heart. It was real. He was trapped. And what did he mean by her _recognizing_ him? Her stomach churned anxiously at the thought.

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As the days bled into weeks, Inuyasha felt he was beginning to go mad. There were moments where he'd drift away entirely into a strange world of swirling white clouds and mist. Kagome appeared over and over only to vanish moments later. He wanted it to be real. So badly he wanted it to be real. He pretended she'd found him, that she returned, that she loved him. He held her in his arms - never wanting to let go - then he'd be thrust back into reality where he was a dog, a prisoner, and dying slowly. He could feel his body withering away into nothing. He'd taken to eating bark and mud because Kikyo _never_ fed him and she _never_ stopped walking. He was exhausted. He was slowly losing his mind. He was dying. He just hoped he'd die in that world of mist and clouds with the dream version of Kagome in his arms instead of lonely, starving and humiliated.

"We shall spend the evening in Kyoto," Kikyo suddenly spoke up as she tugged on the leash – causing the small dog to stumble slightly from the force, "While we're there, you are not to leave my side. We will depart in the morning."

' _Goodie_. _Maybe I'll finally get some sleep'_ Inuyasha thought bitterly before sighing wearily and trotting beside her with his ears pinned back, ' _Or maybe I'll_ _be lucky enough to die in my sleep. Wouldn't that be the final kick in the pants?'_

Kikyo glanced down at him with a look of approval – misinterpreting the pinning of his ears to be submission rather than depression, "I'm glad you're finally submitting to your true master, Inuyasha. You're finally learning your place."

Glancing up at her with disgust building in his gut, it took all his self-control not to growl or snarl at the clay pot. Hell would freeze over before he _ever_ submitted to _her_.

"There is a matter we will be attending to tomorrow afternoon," Kikyo continued as she turned his gaze forward once more, "Now that you've been broken I do believe it's time to put you truly in your rightful place."

' _Broken_?' Inuyasha scoffed in his mind as his heart sunk further still and the word echoed in his skull. At first, he'd fought but anymore there seemed to be no point. It was true. She had broken him. Destroyed his spirit. His hopes. His dreams. If he didn't have the hope Kagome would find him. If he didn't remind himself that she was his reason for living…he would've given up and let himself wither away into nothing weeks ago. Still…even if Kagome did find him…his hope that one day they'd be something more than just friends was gone. Snuffed out before it even began. If he had known this was to be his fate, he would've done things differently. So much wasted time. What had he done in a past life to be forced to suffer so much in this one? He didn't even know if there was a way to change him back and let's be honest, who would ever want to share their bed with a _dog_? No one, that's who. Even someone as loving as Kagome.


	3. Fetch - Chapter Three

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There's a kind of tired that needs a good night's sleep, and another that needs so much more. For InuYasha, one became the other, it was ever present - soaring ever high until each step was excruciating. So tired it wore on his emotions too, that it fused together with his tired and weary body. Over the last month, it become an ingrained part of a life that wasn't lived, but survived, endured. He had always been a survivor. Every minute of every day had been him versus the world. Until recently and it wasn't until recently that he realized - _truly_ realized -how glorious his life had become since Kagome dropped into it. It killed him how soft he'd become. How terrified. If they had left him - this rag tag group Kagome had assembled - he'd always comforted himself that once they came to their senses and cast him out, he'd've been fine. Oh how wrong he was. Now that he knew what the grass looked like on the other side...it wasn't even that he didn't want to go back to how he'd lived up until that moment. He physically and mentally _couldn't_. With each passing moment he grieved for the loss of what once was. The grief growing ever higher with each faltering heartbeat, with each time his vision blurred or his stomach growled. With each mouthful of mud. With each excruciating blast of spiritual energy Kikyo surged into his body. He'd die as he'd lived for over a century. Alone. Forever alone in a world that hated him. At the hands of someone who hated him. Just like he'd always thought.

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"Kyoto?" Sango breathed incredulously, "How on earth...why would he go there?"

"I don't think he has a choice. Whatever Kikyo has done to him..." Kagome's voice broke before she cleared her throat and tried again, "He said something about me recognizing him. She's done something to him."

"It would take a great deal to subdue him," Miroku opined thoughtfully as he furrowed his brow, "Kikyo would be a fool to take him in his current form to such a large city. Perhaps she's sealed him in an object?"

"Maybe. Can you do that to a half-demon though? The new moon has come and gone. He should've been able to escape," Sango sighed heavily as she shook her head, "No it's something more than that."

"Its a spell to be sure though," Kagome responded hoarsely as they continued to walk towards the place InuYasha was presumedly being kept, "It's times like this I wish I had been formally trained. Maybe..."

"Never say that," Miroku interrupted her tersely as he stopped and slammed his staff on the ground angrily, "Even I was taught all demons were the scourge of the earth. How many demons have I slain, that Sango has slain, that were like _him_?"

Gasping Kagome gaped at the irate monk, unsure of what to say in response as Sango blushed and fidgeted awkwardly.

"You would've been _no_ different," Miroku continued a little less heatedly, "Would've struck InuYasha down where he stood or let him remain sealed to that tree. Sango and I trusted him _only_ because of you. At first we _hated_ him same as any other demon we had ever encountered. Look at us _now_. He is like a _brother_ to us. Someone we would die to protect."

"I never..." Kagome began slowly as her throat grew tight, "I..."

"You _are_ _**different**_ and that is why _loves_ you," Miroku continued angrily before holding up a hand when Kagome opened her mouth to protest, "You are _blinded_ by this whole Kikyo being brought back from the dead nonsense. Anyone with eyes knows how he feels about you just as plainly as we can see you love him."

"Miroku, she merely wishes she knew the spell," Sango managed to choke out as he cast her an angry glare, "I don't..."

"She wasted _precious_ time thinking he'd abandoned her. Abandoned us," Miroku cut the slayer off as he whipped his gaze back to Kagome, "Tell me. Do you honestly think so little of him? After all he's done, why would he do such a thing?"

"That's enough," Sango huffed angrily as she walked up to the monk and poked him hard in the chest, "If you were so convinced then why didn't you say anything?! You're just as guilty as the rest of us. Stop acting holier than now!"

Roughly pushing Sango's hand away from him, Miroku breathed heavily through his nostrils before storming ahead and around the slayer, miko and that contraption that Kagome couldn't dream of leaving behind. The reason they weren't using Kilala to get to Kyoto by nightfall.

"You can do as you wish," Miroku hissed angrily as he pulled out a small glowing leaf from within his robes and pressed it to his lips - a faint high pitched whistle emanating from it as he did so, "I'm going ahead."

"Miroku," Sango scoffed indignantly, "Why don't we just take Kilala instead of summoning Haichi? That's..."

" _Someone_ won't leave their bike behind," Miroku quipped back acidly, "And I, for one, will not be delayed because of..."

"You want me to leave my bike?!" Kagome damn near screamed as she threw the battered metal horse onto the ground, " _Fine_! I'll leave it _right_ here! We're still getting there _either_ way _today_! It's not that far! I just thought..."

" _ **Enough**_! Enough fighting!" Sango cut both of them off in a mildly panicked tone that quelled the anger in the two staring each other down, "We can't start fighting over this! We need a united front when we find him. Just _stop_ this!"

"She's right," Kagome huffed dejectedly before turning towards Miroku, "And you're right too. I should've left my bike. I just didn't want to draw attention to ourselves as we approached. Kikyo might..."

"Haichi will be arriving shortly," Miroku sighed heavily as he turned his head towards the horizon, "He'll he able to carry all our supplies in any case and I'll have him drop us off a fair distance away to better disguise our approach."

"Okay," Kagome replied shakily as her heart sunk into her stomach as she chewed over the monk's words, "Okay then."

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The white, swirling world once again clouded his vision. Besides Kagome appearing every so often, this strange imaginary world has become his happy place. He was in his normal form here. Able to rest and unable to feel the excruciating pain that awaited him when he'd be thrown back into the reality he had found himself in. Here he was safe. Here it was warm. Here these strange clouds protected him from harm.

"Kagome," InuYasha muttered quietly to himself as he closed his eyes and tried to conjure up that vision of her smiling at him. Glancing around, no Kagome appeared for him and he sighed. Fingering the beads around his neck, he decided now was a good a time as any to try to speak with her. It was odd. He was never the chatty type or the touchy feely type before this mess and now all he wanted to do was tell her everything he'd ever kept from her. To hold her in his arms and _never_ let go.

"I love you," he murmured dejectedly to himself as he once again closed his eyes - a single tear sliding down his face - his voice cracking as he continued, " I love you so much it hurts. I'm a bastard for so many reasons. You don't have to love me. I don't deserve it and you deserve so much better than someone like me. Not because I'm a half demon. I know you better than that. You don't care. It's because I'm a _jackass_. A stubborn, selfish jackass and you're...you're _you_. I should've said something but I didn't know how. I was scared. _So_ scared. If you rejected me...I don't think I'd ever recover. I need you beside me. Haven't you figured that out yet?"

Inhaling deeply, another stray tear slid down his face as he felt the tug back to his mortal body begin to pull at him. Sighing deeply, he whispered quietly into the void "I hope I get to see you again."


	4. Fetch - Chapter Four

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Inuyasha had always avoided large cities for more reasons than one. First and foremost, he was never welcome in cities. It wasn't just a presumption. When he was younger, he was literally run out of Kyoto by an angry, murderous mob. The second reasons was the _smell_. Its chaotic fragrance set him on edge. There was no tinge of earthy loam to the air, no fragrance of spring growth or heady warning when rain was due. It smelled like body odor, decay and filth. There was absolutely no way the humans didn't smell it too but perhaps it was his heightened senses that made it nauseating. At least as a dog the smell was less overpowering although the crowds seemed to not notice him and it was all he could do not to get trampled under their feet.

"There is a small matter I must attend to," Kikyo murmured just loud enough for him to hear, "You shall accompany me."

' _No shit_ ,' Inuyasha huffed in his mind as he trotted obediently behind her, ' _Don't really have a choice, do I?'_

"Supposedly a jewel shard has made it way to the temple here," Kikyo continued as she glanced down at the weary, disheveled pup, "Sealed by a well renowned monk but he has fallen ill so the head monk sent a messenger for me."

' _What the hell? How do they even know you're alive? Well…kinda anyway,_ ' Inuyasha scoffed incredulously as he dodged a merchant who clearly hadn't seen him or simply didn't care, ' _I bet this is a trap.'_

"I do believe you're familiar with him," Kikyo responded as she sent him a wicked smile, "But I think you only met him once. You left quite an impression from what I gathered."

 _'What the hell?_ ' Inuyasha thought – hope blossoming in his chest, _'Maybe it's Mushin! He'd recognize me surely! She has no…'_

"I informed him that I was familiar with Lady Kagome but that I would be suitable," Kikyo chuckled darkly, "The monk had sent for her originally but once I made it clear that I was more suited for the position, the position was offered to me."

 _'Well isn't that just great,'_ Inuyasha thought bitterly although he was rather confused. What monk could she possibly be talking about? Besides Mushin they'd never really encountered any others. It couldn't possibly be Mushin. He'd never allow Kikyo to take the place of Kagome – especially since he was familiar with the situation. It must be someone else then but who?

"You must be curious. I do not believe you knew his name," Kikyo continued with a soft sigh, "Still, he did bring up an interesting point in his correspondence. A human accompanied by a half-demon, monk and slayer. If this Lady Kagome had the power to subdue demons….so much so that she felt comfortable having several accompanying her….perhaps she was so pure of heart she was worthy of being the guardian of jewel shards."

Eyes nearly bugging out of his skull, realization set in and his stomach churned angrily. That monk and his followers had gotten involved when that flute demon started kidnapping children, including Rin. Sesshomaru, naturally, had gone to retrieve her and had managed to thwart their efforts to purify him. He had asked when he next saw them why a human would travel in the company of demons but he thought it was just another closed minded asshole at the time. Apparently, he'd formed his own conclusion on why that might be. This wasn't good.

"In either case," Kikyo continued with another soft sigh as she reached into her kimono and removed a sutra that she coyly held up for him to see, "You will wait outside the temple. With a seal, of course. Can't have you trying to escape."

 _'Well, maybe I'll be able to take a nap,'_ Inuyasha thought bitterly as the small temple came into view amidst the various vendors and buildings that lined the street, _'that's something, at least.'_

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"I never imagined it would be this big," Kagome breathed nervously as she saw the city come into view in the distance, "I mean, it's the warring states era. I thought it'd be quite small. How are we supposed to find him in there?"

"We don't know for certain he is in the city," Sango pointed out as she scanned the forest beneath them, "They might be in the forest. Can you feel his aura?"

"Not at all," Kagome sighed miserably as she too began scanning the ground below them, "No jewel shards either and I imagine Kikyo has a few of her own."

"We'll make another sweep before we land," Miroku huffed in frustration, "Then we'll enter the city for the night. Perhaps we'll have more luck."

Nodding numbly, Kagome desperately tried to locate Inuyasha's aura before closing her eyes to try and reach out to him in her mind or…or _something_.

"I presume you need to be sleeping to reach him that way," Miroku replied with a gentle sigh as he gave her a sympathetic smile, "Fear not. We _will_ find him."

"He looks so thin in the dream," Kagome whispered fearfully as tears welled in the corners of her eyes, "Losing hair. His skin is all yellow and stretched. He looks like he's _dying_."

Swallowing thickly, the slayer and monk shared an uneasy glance as they soared through the air. Another hour passed and the sun began to dip below the horizon. They landed and began their journey towards the city – looking tired and haggard themselves.

"We should probably rest," Miroku opined as he stretched his hands over his head and yawned, "I imagine a battle is ahead of us."

"That and if Kagome is asleep, she might learn something new from him and maybe we can focus our search area in the morning," Sango continued thoughtfully before turning a reassuring smile at the frantic miko, "We'll find him. I promise."

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' _Naps are a glorious thing,'_ Inuyasha thought drowsily as he curled up in the muddy and filthy streets. The sun had set a few minutes prior and , _'Such a glorious…'_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome voice rang through his mind and had his eyes snapping open. A wide grin grew over his face as he saw the white swirling clouds and he sat bolt upright – his amber eyes frantically looking around for the miko he missed more than anything.

"You're here," he breathed happily as his eyes landed on her. In an instant, he was up and rushing towards her as he had been doing – crushing her against him and lifting her up into the air as he spun. Setting her down, he once again pulled her to him as he buried his nose in her hair, "Stay with me. Please. Just for a while."

"We're in the city trying to find you," Kagome's muffled voice reached his sensitive ears – making him blink rapidly a few times before he pulled her back to look better at her face, "You're _here_?"

"You said you were heading towards Kyoto," Kagome responded breathlessly – his amber eyes so open as a million emotions flew through them….the most prevalent being love and hope, "Where in the city are you?"

"I'm not sure if this is real," he began slowly as he furrowed his brow – wanting more than anything for it to be so but not wanting to give himself false hope, "But…but right now, we're near a temple. I'm tied up outside."

"Tied up?" Kagome repeated as she stared at him with her mouth partially open before her visage contorted into rage as she demanded, "What did she do to you?"

"She…" Inuyasha responded as he released a shuddering breath before he was flung backwards and back into the small dog body. Blinking rapidly, his heart sunk into his stomach as he saw Kikyo standing above him wearing a disapproving grimace.

"We shall take our leave now," Kikyo responded coolly as she sent a slight shock down the leash making him yip in pain, "and I did not say you were allowed to rest."

' _Bitch_ ,' Inuyasha thought miserably as his whole body screamed when she began to drag him towards the center of town once more. His mind wandered towards the vision he'd seen just a few moments ago – his nose working in overtime as he tried to find some proof that Kagome was indeed in the city and indeed looking for him. Those dreams…those dreams might be real. He might've actually been seeing her, holding her….the very thought lessened the ache in his heart – if only incrementally.

"My reincarnation is indeed here," Kikyo laughed humorlessly as she stared down at the tiny dog sniffing frantically, "What will she say when she sees you I wonder? Not that it matters. She's on the other side of the city."

 _'She's really here,'_ Inuyasha thought as hope filled his chest and his tail began to wag, _'They weren't dreams. Somehow…somehow…we're connected.'_

His heart beat wildly in his chest at the thought and he had to fight back the dog-like grin that wanted to escape. They were _connected_. She was actually coming for him.

 _'About damn time,'_ he chuckled in his mind – happiness flowing through him _, 'She gets kidnapped every other day. Turnabout is fair play. It sucks, yeah, but still. She'll find me. She'll always find me. Just like I'll always find her.'_

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"They _are_ here," Kagome huffed in frustration as she began to march determinedly through the city, "I can feel that bitch. She's on the other side of the city but I'm gunna get her. She can't hide from me!"

"What will you do when you find her?" Sango asked bemusedly as she saw Kagome muscle her way around an old man who was walking too slowly for her liking, "I've never seen you this… _murderous_ before."

"Well _yeah_! Who the _hell_ does she think she is?" Kagome huffed as she glanced over her shoulder, "All he's done is worship the ground she walks on and now she's done something to him that is obviously hurting him. I've had enough. Enough you hear me!"

"Remind me never to get on her bad side. She's seems to have gone quite mad. Should we make a run for it?" Miroku chuckled a little too loudly as he sent Sango a wicked grin before jumping and flinching as Kagome spun around and pointed an accusative finger, "I HEARD THAT MIROKU!"

"I stand by my statement," Miroku teased before he frowned and looked into the distance, "You sense that jewel shard?"

"Yeah I sense it _and_ Kikyo's soul. She's got one of each," Kagome huffed as she once again began pushing her way through the crowded streets, "What on earth is her plan? To just torture him to death or something! He looks awful! That mean spirited, awful…"

Showing off an impressive vocabulary of curse words, Kagome continued to march through the crowd as quickly as the large amount of foot traffic would allow.

"And _another_ thing," Kagome continued after she got through the intense name calling that had even Miroku blushing, "Why did she do this in the first place?! He hasn't done anything except prove that he's hers. Why _now_? Is she really just that _evil_?!"

Making impressive time and her comrades learning an entirely different side of Kagome than they were used to, they finally arrived at the edge of the city and Kagome literally screamed in frustration, "AND NOW SHE'S BLOCKED HER AURA! THAT _EVIL_ **_BITCH_**!"

"She's scary when she's angry," Shippo whimpered from the safety of Sango's arms, "I've never seen her like this."

"Agreed," Sango breathed before glancing at Miroku, "Is it wrong that I pity Kikyo when Kagome gets her hands on her?"

"Yes, I think Kikyo deserves whatever she has coming for her," Miroku chuckled darkly before sighing, "I hope, however, that it doesn't come to that. Kagome is far too pure to do such a thing. Anger and fear are blinding her."

"I worry about that too," Sango whispered quietly to herself as she began to follow the miko was began muscling her way through the thick forest – mumbling curses under her breath as she went.


	5. Fetch - Chapter Five

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"Lord Sesshomaru where are we going?" Jakken whined as he followed dutifully behind his master before adding quickly, "Not that I'm complaining mind you!"

"It is none of your concern," the daiyoukai replied coldly as he continued through the forest. Jakken swallowed thickly as he jerked on Ah-Un's reigns to make the beast move slightly faster. Rin, of course, seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings as she hummed happily to herself and took in the greenery in the dwindling dusk light.

"It's quite pretty," Rin mused thoughtfully as she cooed in awe before giggling, "My Lord has not been near here before and neither has Rin!"

"We are near the human city of Kyoto," Sesshomaru replied as the corners of his lips twitched upwards when Rin squealed excitedly and grinned, "Perhaps This Sesshomaru may arrange for an outing."

"And just _who_ would escort her?" Jakken scoffed before his eyes widened in horror when Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes, "Not that it matters. If need be, I shall escort her of course."

"This Sesshomaru has a matter of business he must attend to and that might prove fruitful," the daiyoukai replied clearly dismissing his minion's blabbering - his willingness to share, though, was borderline shocking to the little kappa. He normally never said a word to them about anything he did. He usually just flew away while they waited for her return. Blinking rapidly, the little kappa was so wrapped in his thoughts he missed most of what his master was saying but caught the last bit, "You shall stay out of the way."

"Yes m'lord," Jakken whispered in a terrified tone as he cowered slightly and cleared his throat, "Whatever you say."

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"Where are you?! Come out and fight me **_coward_**!" Kagome bellowed hoarsely as she whipped her head around the small clearing she found herself in, "I feel you! I _know_ you can hear me!"

"Wouldn't we be better served by flying?" Sango asked timidly as she joined Kagome in the clearing, "Perhaps she's covered more distance than you believe."

"No, she's close ," Kagome huffed as she narrowed her eyes, "Keep a look out for soul collectors."

"Kagome, it's quite dark outside," Sango murmured nervously as Miroku entered the clearing slowly with Shippo on his shoulder, "and if she doesn't want to be found..."

"I don't know what she has planned!" Kagome hissed - a desperate sheen in her eyes as she whipped her head towards the slayer, "For all I know she plans on killing him! I can't let that happen!"

"She might be watching," Miroku replied quietly as he moved closer - his eyes wearily scanning the surrounding forest, "In fact, she'd be a fool to not be."

" _Good_! Then she knows how pissed I am!" Kagome huffed dismissively as she scowled and stamped her foot in frustration, "She's a coward! HEAR THAT KIKYO! YOU. ARE. A. _COWARD_!"

"Have you noticed how much she's acting like InuYasha?" Sango whispered to Miroku as she eyed the miko nervously, "Her temper...her actions..."

"I've noticed that as well," Miroku murmured back as he furrowed his brow, "I wonder whether this has anything to do with her visions."

"She is smelling more like him," Shippo piped up nervously as he sniffed pointedly, "She's still her but it's like a mixture."

Sighing, Miroku narrowed his eyes and took in the miko's aura before his eyes widened in disbelief. Mouth falling open, he shook himself before whispering hurriedly, "Her aura is fluctuating as well. Perhaps he is feeding off of her somehow. If he _is_ dying, perhaps his soul is finding strength in hers? I can't explain it. Such a thing isn't possible."

"Visions connecting two people isn't possible yet here we are and so it is," Sango sighed wearily as she glanced around the clearing, "I just hope we aren't too late. If they are connected to such a degree, his death might lead to hers as well."

"Indeed," Miroku replied as he set his jaw and squared his shoulders before pulling out several sutras from within his voluminous robes, "If there is a barrier, perhaps it might react."

Methodically, Miroku began moving through the trees. Purposefully placing sutras in a precise manner so a slight barrier was formed while Sango followed close behind.

"If she does through, there should be some reaction," he whispered, "Well just have to pray she passes by."

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The night had passed by quickly and without incident. In the time they spent pointlessly placing sutras around the area she had already passed, she'd managed to make it twice the distance thanks to the help of her soul collectors. It amused her how futile that pathetic group's efforts had been. All to save an animal. An animal whose life force and demonic aura was waning. If the state of his body didn't kill him, surely the tall demon with flowing silver hair standing before her would.

"This Sesshomaru is not one who may be summoned at will," the daiyoukai spoke coldly as his robes whipped around him in the slight summer's breeze before his nostrils flared and his eyes honed in on the small, half-dead dog being strung along. For a moment, Sesshomaru stared transfixed at the dog before his eyes once again met the undead miko's, "You summoned This Sesshomaru because you have turned InuYasha into a common dog?"

"As an inuyoukai I believed it was fitting," Kikyo replied with a simple shrug - missing he flash of crimson that flew through the daiyoukai's eyes - before removing the mighty Tessaiga from her belt loop, "I also come bearing a gift. In exchange I wish for us to form an alliance."

"An alliance?" Sesshomaru murmured derisively - his cold amber eyes never leaving the heavily panting dog before they flicked up to the priestess, "What Is This Sesshomaru to receive in exchange?"

"The _sword_ of course," Kikyo replied with an eerie laugh before frowning when InuYasha whimpered and swayed dangerously. Narrowing her eyes, the undead miko sent a slight shock down the charged leash earning yet another yip from the exhausted canine before turning her attention back to a stoic as ever Sesshomaru, "It would be mutually beneficial I assure you. Naraku has wrong us both and with our powers combined we should be able to defeat him"

"This Sesshomaru…" the daiyoukai began before his eyes flicked once more at the small dog who whimpered pathetically as his legs trembled. Keeping his face as stoic as ever, he tried again in that endlessly annoying monotonous tone, "This Sesshomaru requires something more substantial than a simple sword to form such an alliance. It shall only be forged if This Sesshomaru receives both the sword _and_ InuYasha. He shall die by my hand and my hand alone."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Kikyo purred as she walked over - literally dragging the poor puppy that was struggling to stand much less walk behind her, "How will you do it?"

"This Sesshomaru shall end his miserable life," the daiyoukai replied vaguely as he took the leash and sword from the undead miko, "Consider an alliance forged."

"I shall send word concerning my whereabouts in two weeks time," Kikyo replied as the corners of her lips twitched upwards, "It was lovely doing business with you Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hn," Sesshomaru hummed in acknowledgement as he turned - poor InuYasha being dragged behind his older brother, whimpering and whining all the way.

As soon as the dead miko was a suitable distance away and Rin was in sight, Sesshomaru sighed heavily and with one hand, picked up the small dog. Inspecting his limp body, his lips continued to twitch downward and his eyes - normally cold and impassive - flickered with something akin to rage. In those expressive amber eyes, he saw resignation and defeat. Like his very spirit had been broken and he'd merely given up on surviving. Somehow that witch had broken the obstinate, fool hardy, strong, willful...

"A _puppy_!" Rin squealed as she ran up to her Lord - forcing him to tear his gaze away to look down at the small girl who was bouncing excitedly, "My Lord got Rin a puppy!"

"This Sesshomaru does not allow _pets_ ," Sesshomaru murmured as he glanced down at the disappointed girl wearing a ghost of a smile that began fading the instant the words left him mouth, "However, you may hold this miserable creature until such time as we dispose of him."

Nodding excitedly, Rin held up her hands and accepted the bartered dog before crushing the small being to her chest.

"So _cute_. Such a _good_ puppy," Rin crooned happily as she adjusted him so his tiny paws and chin rested on her shoulder, "So _good_."

Sesshomaru sighed once more as he watch Rin coddle the confused canine. InuYasha's completely baffled and surprised gaze never left the daiyoukai's face.

It bothered Sesshomaru more than he would ever admit to see his father's blood thusly treated. Whatever squabbles they may have had in the past, InuYasha had proven himself worthy recently of being the son of the InuNoTaisho. Such a fate was not to be tolerated or accepted. Sesshomaru was aware of exactly who that witch had been and what she had done in her life. Half a century ago, word had reached him that Inuyasha had been sealed to a tree by a miko named Kikyo who died shortly thereafter. Despite never having spoken to the half-breed in over a century, Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel compelled to test the veracity of such a statement. So he traveled to the Forest of Inuyasha. Saw the young man pinned to the tree with a peaceful expression on his face. A face more youthful and innocent that the daiyoukai had ever seen in life. If Sesshomaru ever admitted to himself that he did indeed have heartstrings, he would've sworn the sight played upon them. Were the miko still living, she would've met her fate at his hand rather than at Naraku's. The half-breed had been sentenced to a fate worse than death. No being deserved that. No matter what they'd done. Either kill them or let them live. Anything less was dishonorable. He refused to acknowledge he had any feelings towards the boy. It was for the sake of his father that he had such strange thoughts - or so he told himself.

Fifty years passed and then Inuyasha awoke as obstinate and reckless as ever. Still impulsive. Still needing a firm hand – which luckily this new miko had been more than willing to provide. And poor Sesshomaru was beyond frustrated that after more than _two hundred years_ of searching for the Tessaiga it was stuck in _Inuyasha's_ eye the _entire_ time. The brother he refused to acknowledge much less protect. Should Inuyasha have died…the sword would've been lost forever. And that was why it bothered him so - or so he told himself. The sword was all that mattered.

So Sesshomaru reacted, shall I dare say, _poorly_. At first his attacks were fueled by misguided rage and greed. At first. In time, however, he began to pay more attention. InuYasha was strong - though not as strong as him. Still, he was a worthy opponent. Honorable. Loyal. Strong.

And then - one day - word reached him via the worthless flea that InuYasha had lost his mind. Slaughtered villagers mindlessly. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru actually felt concerned for the boy's wellbeing. Well, for the first time, Sesshomaru _acknowledged_ that his concern was actually for the boy himself and not just their family's reputation.

Since that time and to save face, he'd challenged the boy as only he could. Whenever Tenseiga alerted its master to a disturbance, Sesshomaru would arrive to pick a fight and to determine whether the perceived threat to the half-breed's sanity was valid. In truth, he continued to state his obsession with Tessaiga mainly because he refused to let the sword remain in the hands of a mad man and also to prevent others from seeking to take it for themselves. No one except Naraku was foolish enough to challenge the daiyoukai. And InuYasha was a mad man in possession of a weapon of mass destruction. That was unfortunate and perturbing to say the least. Ultimately, though, Sesshomaru discovered that the sword was the _only_ reason his brother _wasn't_ mad. Which ultimately led him to this moment – his perceived hatred that he had worked to present to the world had ultimately been the saving grace Inuyasha needed in that moment.

"You want some water?" Rin cooed in baby talk as she reached for the a small water skin and a small bowl, "Rin knows you do. Rin has some jerky too. Such a _good_ little baby. Yes you are."

As the daiyoukai watched his ward coo and coddle his injured...his injured brother, the corners of Sesshomaru's lips twitched upwards. Perhaps Rin could use a pet. Not InuYasha, of course, but perhaps a small dog. It might keep her occupied and better company than he or Jakken provided.

"Aw yes so good," Rin continued to coo as she ran her hand down his back and InuYasha drank the water like it was going out of style, "So _thirsty_."

Sesshomaru sighed slightly once more before turning to the sky before pausing and glancing over his shoulder, "Jakken. Watch Rin. This Sesshomaru has additional business to tend to."


	6. Fetch - Chapter Six

**A/N: Posted earlier this morning but apparently didn't actually post. Attempt Two.**

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"Hurry up! We don't have all day! We've got to catch up to that evil…" Kagome bellowed over her shoulder as she continued marching forward – Kilala having landed on the forest floor when she caught what appeared to be Inuyasha's scent, "We've got to be close!"

"Kagome-chan, we haven't slept in over a day," Sango croaked as she continued trudging forward, "We've got to sleep sometime."

"We'll sleep when we find him!" Kagome quipped back angrily, "We'll lose them if you don't stop dilly dallying and pick up the pace!"

"If you go to sleep, perhaps you can speak with him and ask where he is rather than searching blindly," Miroku replied exasperatedly, "We've told you multiple times that would probably help us find him sooner."

"How the hell would he know where he is?" Kagome hissed as she glared over her shoulder – her eyes holding a manic, somewhat wild quality, "Everything in this forest looks the same! What could he say? I'm by a bunch of trees!"

"Maybe they're no longer in the forest," Miroku pressed as stopped and cricked his neck, "Maybe it was a decoy. Either way don't you want to reassure him that we're still trying to find him? Perhaps he's worried and trying to reach out to you."

Setting her jaw, Kagome huffed once before turning to face them – her features relaxing slightly as she mulled over that possibility. Miroku, Sango and Shippo – for their part – were mildly horrified at how much the miko was beginning to resemble the hanyou's usual temperament. It seemed to be growing in intensity each passing day to the point where now they hardly recognized the sweet, loving girl. All they could hope is that once he was recovered she'd snap out of it.

"Fine, we'll take a nap but then we're getting up and trucking ahead," Kagome finally replied as she folded her arms tightly against her chest, "We have to find him. We've got to."

Miroku's mouth slowly mouthed the word ' _trucking'_ for a moment as he furrowed his brow before sighing and with a grateful sigh, slumping against a nearby tree. Sometimes Kagome used words that had no real meaning to them. Sometimes Inuyasha would be able to understand but other times everyone could tell he was just as confused by her phrasing as the rest of them.

Kagome quickly placed her backpack on the ground – not bothering to unpack anything as she arranged the yellow eyesore to serve as a pillow before huffing and arranging herself on the ground. Shippo cautiously moved to sleep near Kagome before he too succumbed to exhaustion.

Sango seemed to be the most exhausted of them all – which came as no surprise given that monstrosity of a weapon she had carried with one hand throughout their hunt in case a battle was imminent. Poor thing gently placed her weapon against a tree before plopping down onto the ground, assuming an almost fetal position and closing her eyes.

Miroku's heart melted a little at the sight before he chuckled and commented softly, "You know Sango, you could use Kilala or myself as a pillow. That can't be comfortable."

"You just want to grab me," Sango muttered wearily as she opened her bloodshot eyes, "Besides this is where I fell, this is where I'm staying. Slayers code."

"There's no such thing as slayer's code. You made that up," Miroku teased warmly – noticing how Sango's lips twitched upwards and the slight shrug of her shoulders. Rolling his eyes, Miroku decided to leave it at that as he leaned his head back against the tree and sighed.

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Inuyasha was beyond confused and somewhat annoyed as Rin ran her hand down his back over and over and over. Sesshomaru has always hated him, hadn't he? Yet as the daiyoukai had held him up there was something in his eyes that Inuyasha couldn't quite place. If he didn't know better, he would've said it was a mixture of concern and anger. That was impossible. Sesshomaru didn't give a shit about him. Honestly, as soon as the daiyoukai had demanded him, Inuyasha felt all hope drain from his body and he immediately resigned himself to death. It wasn't like he could very well fight back and Kagome was nowhere nearby to save him. In his mind, that was it. This was the moment he died. Instead, he'd been fed, watered and was now unwillingly being subjected to never ending pets from a ten year old.

"So tired puppy," Rin cooed happily before she pulled him into her lap and adjusted him so she perceived he'd be more comfortable, "Rin is tired too. Why don't we take a nap?"

A nap did sound like the most glorious thing that he'd ever heard of. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but feel like that was a terrible idea. His body was against him, however, as his eyelids dropped and the warm feeling of slumber began creeping up on him. .Sesshomaru wouldn't kill him in front of Rin, he reasoned, and maybe it'd be better if he died while in that strange place of clouds. Maybe Kagome would…be…

And then he found himself in that world again. For a moment, he merely lay there against the cold smooth ground and closed his eyes. Relishing in the noticable lack of pain that had been plaguing his body. There were no real scents or noises in this place either. Just those clouds and the white void...she hadn't been here the last few times he was here. Maybe she'd given up or maybe...

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in relief making the hanyou start and quickly scramble to his feet to catch her as she rushed up to him and embraced him tightly, "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I know," Inuyasha breathed happily as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his nose into her hair, "Kikyo gave me to Sesshomaru. I'm in Rin's lap right now."

"Rin's lap?" Kagome chuckled hoarsely as she pulled back and looked up into his face, "What did Kikyo do to you?"

"Uh, so see here's the thing…she, uh...so I went to meet her like normal and...and..." Inuyasha stammered awkwardly as he blushed and averted his eyes when Kagome wrinkled her nose, "Before you get any ideas, Kikyo got mad at….at something I said….and she, uh, may have turned me into...into a dog."

"A _dog_?" Kagome gasped as she searched his face for some sign that he was joking – her heart plummeting into her stomach as she realized he had to be telling the truth. His ears were pinned against his head and he had dropped his arms so one hung limply beside him while the other rubbed at his bicep. She'd never seen him so anxious, so vulnerable, so lost. Concern and love rushed through her as she gently reached up to force him to look at her – gently running her thumb across his cheek; his breath catching as he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch; his whole body language relaxing as a soft smile graced his lips.

"What did you tell her?" Kagome asked with a slight hint of awe that InuYasha was showing such comfort in her touch as she continued to run her thumb across his face – his face falling slightly although he didn't move away from that touch he craved like a starving man craved food.

"I told her the truth," Inuyasha sighed evasively – his heart clenching as he swallowed nervously; his hand reaching up to still her touches before he plopped onto the ground dragging Kagome with him and into his lap. Holding her to him, Inuyasha released as shuddering breath as he crushed her to him and whispered into her hair, "I told her….I told her that I…I…"

"That you what?" Kagome tried to nudge him along as she rested her head onto his shoulder – her face nestled comfortably against the nape of his neck. From her position, he could see his adam's apple bobbing wildly as he tried to find the strength to tell her whatever it was that he was trying to say. Finally, he cleared his throat and clenched his eyes shut as the words spilled from his mouth, "She was getting so _angry_. Told me I needed to leave with her. To abandon you guys. And I told her no. And she said ' _so you love that girl more than me?_ ' and I said….I said _yeah_."

Pulling back Kagome reached up with both hands to cup his face and force him to look straight at her, "You told her you loved me more than her? You _love_ me?"

Smiling nervously, a small burst of hope ran through him at the look in her eyes. Swallowing thickly, amber eyes searched hers as he cleared his throat and whispered shakily, "More than anything."

Tears welled in Kagome's eyes as she pulled her face down to hers and kissed him passionately – earning a gasp then a whimper from the man holding her in his arms. For a while, their mouths fought for dominance before Inuyasha suddenly broke off the kiss – panting heavily as his eyes once again searched hers, "So am I to understand…"

"I love you too," Kagome confirmed as she beamed at him like he'd hung the moon and given her the stars. In that moment, Kagome realized she'd never seen him smile – _really_ smile – before and nothing had ever made her heart swell with happiness quite like that. Capturing her mouth once more, InuYasha quickly maneuvered their bodies so his was lying flush on hers before deepening the kiss which Kagome returned with equal vigor.

And then - just like that - they were both thrown back – pained cries leaving both their throats as they were ripped from each other's arms and tossed unceremoniously back into their bodies. Blinking rapidly, Kagome sat bolt upright – somewhat disoriented, and very disappointed. Her utter confusion escalated dramatically when she saw none other than Sesshomaru towering over her with an odd expression on his face.


	7. Fetch - Chapter Seven

A/N: There was some random technological craziness with last chapter. You're not crazy. I don't know what the hell that was.

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"In one days time, you will meet This Sesshomaru in your village," the daiyoukai cut her off curtly - the rest of their exhausted group sitting bolt upright as his voice reached their ears, "There is..."

"You have InuYasha?" Kagome replied breathlessly as she gaped openly at the stoic as ever demon, "And you're going to just give him to us?"

If the miko didn't know better, she'd have sworn that the daiyoukai cringed before he responded, "It would dishonorable to kill him in his current form. Therefore..."

"Because he's a _dog_ ," Kagome pressed with an audible question mark in her tone before adding quickly when something flashed in his eyes, "Yes. Yes. One day. We'll be there."

"Hn," Sesshomaru hummed by way of acknowledgement before turning and making his way back into the forest.

"That was weird," Shippo commented as he jumped atop Kagome's shoulder, "You really think he'll do it?"

"When I spoke to InuYasha he was with Rin," Kagome replied absently before glancing over her shoulder at the slayer and monk who were blinking stupidly in the direction the daiyoukai disappeared, "Well we better get going."

"So Inuyasha is a dog?" Sango murmured more to herself than to the others, "How awful. Why would she..."

"We'll find a way to bring him back," Kagome cut her off confidently as she got to her feet and slung the ten ton backpack over one shoulder in one swift movement - knocking Shippo off her shoulder with the motion, "We just need to ask Kaede. I'm sure she knows how to fix him."

"The whole thing is so strange," Sango whispered quietly to Miroku as he moved a little closer to her, "Why would Kikyo go through all this trouble just to give him to Sesshomaru? What was her end game? What would be the point?"

"Her actions suggest it may have been an impulsive decision," Miroku murmured as he furrowed his brow and a pensive look graced his features, "Perhaps he did something that displeased her."

"What could he have done to deserve such a fate?" Sango replied cautiously as she slung the boomerang over her shoulder with a soft grunt before her eyes popped open with understanding and she turned a slightly hopeful glance at the monk, "Do you think he told Kikyo he loved Kagome?"

"I highly doubt it," Miroku replied derisively as he rolled his eyes, "InuYasha would never admit such a thing to himself much less Kikyo."

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"Kaede!" Kagome called out anxiously as she slid off Kilala's back and frantically ran to the old priestess' home, "Kaede are you home?"

"Yes child. What has happened?" Kaede replied anxiously as Kagome rushed into the hut and slid to her knees in front of the elderly matron – her entire energy screaming desperation and fear.

"Kikyo turned Inuyasha into a dog," Kagome breathed in a hurried and somewhat manic tone, "How do you undo it?"

For a moment, Kaede merely gaped at the girl as though she barely believed her ears before the old woman's face fell and she returned to poking the small fire in her home. After a few moments, the elderly miko sighed and began slowly, "I am familiar with the spell ye have told me. It is dark magic. From what I know, it is temporary in nature but temporary is not what ye might imagine."

"So like a few months or…" Kagome began leadingly as her eyes filled with hope and a grin burst onto her face before it faltered when Kaede sighed and met her gaze with a sympathetic look.

"Child, the curse is intended to last a century," Kaede informed the young miko, "For humans, it is a death sentence – their lives shortened to the span of a common animal. For a demon, however, their youkai lengthens their life in a different way. In a few months time, the Inuyasha you knew will be gone forever. He will forget his identity. His past. Even ye. After a century has passed, he may regain some of his former life but I know not what will become of him. It is a cruel curse."

Blinking stupidly at the old miko, Kagome mouthed wordlessly for a moment before shaking her head and pressing, "There has to be some way to undo it, right? A counter-curse or…or _something_?"

Sighing heavily, Kaede furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a startled gasp from the young miko before her.

"I mean, I can just take him to my time, right? It's more than a century into the future," Kagome enthused manically as her eyes dilated and her breath came in short frantic pants, "Surely that'd work. I mean, he can't be a dog forever, right? He just can't!"

"I don't know if that would be wise," Kaede replied slowly, purposefully, "It may very well kill him."

"I mean, we have to try don't we?" Kagome choked as she leaned forward to grasp her mentor's shoulder, "I have Kikyo's soul! Isn't there some way for the caster to undo it?!"

"Child, ye must remain calm," Kaede pleaded softly as she reached a withered hand to pat the side of Kagome's face lightly, "There may be a solution. Let me consult the scrolls that are kept in the shrine and I will let ye know what I find. Until then, do not act rashly."

"There _has_ to be a way," Kagome pressed as tears welled in the corners of her eyes, "There just has to be."

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It wasn't so much that the water was freezing cold that bothered the hanyou turned pup. No, that was the farthest thing from his mind. What bothered him was that Rin had dunked him in it and was now lathering him with some type of flowery substance that made his nose burn. Eyes watering from a mixture of agitation and embarrassment Inuyasha tried to his best to stay calm as the small girl hummed and washed the gunk out of his fur. Every once in a while she'd gasp slightly as yet another clump of hair came off in her hand. Then out of the blue she huffed in frustration and began pulling at the beads around his neck. They'd shrunken with him – forming a collar of sorts – and were still as glued to him as ever.

"Whoever had you before made these too tight," Rin grumbled under her breath as her nimble little fingers tried to free her new puppy from the smooth beads, "Rin is very worried. All the hair is gone and it's so red but don't worry puppy. Rin will get it off."

Amber eyes widened in panic as Rin yanked – hard – at the beads, essentially choking him before huffing and picking up a much too sharp looking rock with the clear intent to try cutting them off.

"Rin, stop that," Sesshomaru's voice suddenly ordered softly – a small hint of amusement in his tone as he continued, "What are you doing?"

"The puppy was dirty so Rin was trying to clean him," Rin huffed as she dunked Inuyasha's lower half into the water, "Someone was very mean to him, my Lord. Very mean. Rin thinks they did something to that collar because Rin has tried and it will _not_ come off."

"No, I imagine it wouldn't," the daiyoukai commented in a softer, more affectionate tone than any Inuyasha had ever heard escape his brother's lips, "You've done well but leave it be for the moment, Rin. We must move on."

Inuyasha's tiny puppy mouth hung open as he blinked stupidly at the daiyoukai who had reached one hand down to help the small girl out of the river – a slightly soft and adoring look in those usually cold amber eyes. It wasn't anything untoward, nothing romantic in that gaze. More like a father who loved his child. Sesshomaru. A father. Who _loved_ somone. What the literal hell?

"Where are we going, my Lord?" Rin asked as she placed the small puppy on the ground and lovingly reattached the leash she'd left on the bank before trotting along behind her father figure. Glancing down at the small puppy, she sighed, "Rin thinks she needs to carry him. He doesn't look so good."

"Do what you will," Sesshomaru replied before glancing down at her, "In either case, you, Jakken and that animal will ride Ah-Un to our next destination."

"Why can't Rin keep him?" the small girl asked as she turned giant chocolate puppy eyes onto her Lord, "Rin would take care of him and feed him and…"

"He is not yours to keep," Sesshomar replied in his normally cold and aloof air, "We must return him to his master."

"Who owns him, my Lord?" Rin pressed as she knelt down and scooped the puppy into her arms, "They must not love him if they let him get so dirty and sick."

"They love him very much. They have been trying very hard to find him," Sesshomaru replied softly to the young girl as he took her small hand the corners of his lips twitched upwards – again making Inuyasha almost die of shock. When the daiyoukai continued, he met his brother's gaze as he spoke, "That is why we must return him to where he belongs."


	8. Fetch - Chapter Eight

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 **Fetch**

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InuYasha let out a shuddering sigh as Kagome shimmered into existence before him. Knowing this was real. Knowing that she _loved_ him. That after all this time at least something he gone his way. That his future wasn't so lonely after all. All of that more than made up for this latest bit of crap he'd been subjected to. If being turned into a dog was the worst thing that happened from this moment on, he'd consider it a good life.

"Hey," he breathed happily as he pulled her into his arms and crushed her to his chest. Burying his nose into her ebony locks, he inhaled deeply and sighed in relief before chuckling, "I still can't believe you were really looking for me."

"That's all?" Kagome teased shakily as she pulled back and gave him a strained smile, "I still can't believe you love me."

"I'll second that," InuYasha chuckled lightly as he move his hand to tilt her chin up slightly and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling back to nuzzling her nose, "I never thought anyone could love me."

"I know what you're going to say," he laughed softly as she stared at him in utter confusion, "But it's true. Go ahead and pet them. I know you want to. Before I met you, no one wanted anything to do with me. Even..."

For a moment InuYasha trailed off and furrowed his brow before laughing softly again and reaching up to nudge her fingers into moving. Giggling softly despite herself, Kagome scratches the base of a furry triangle earning a slightly from the man attached to it as he sighed and continued, "Even Kikyo talked like my human half giving me worth. You always just saw _me_. As I am. You're the reason Miroku, Sango, hell even Shippo treat me like they do. So to me...I knew you loved me and yet I didn't. I couldn't..."

Trailing off again, he closed his eyes and bit his lip to hide the groan that threatened to break free as she hit a particular sensitive bundle of nerves before clearing his throat and continuing with a soft sigh, "I...I thought I was crazy. There were times I honestly thought you might feel how I did but...but I was never sure. And...and I..."

"I appreciate you telling me," Kagome interrupted softly as she reached up her other hand to fondle both ears simultaneously - earning a soft groan and a dopey smile from the hanyou whose eyes had drifted closed once more, "Just like I knew you liked this."

"I didn't want the first time you did this to be when I'm a _dog_. And I don't normally like it but..." he chuckled softly before his breathing hitched when she hit another sensitive bundle of nerves, "But...but I...the thing is..."

His mind felt cloudy as she continued to fondle his ears. For the life of him he couldn't remember why he didn't like people touching his ears. There was a reason. A memory he couldn't quite access waiting just out of reach.

"I can't remember anyone touching them before..." he began sheepishly as a dopey grin grew on his face and he chuckled once, "I can't remember why I don't like people to touch them."

"You seem to like it," Kagome pointed out - completely oblivious to his inner struggle as she asked playfully, "What does it feel like? It must feel good."

"I like that it calms me...like how your scent calms me but different, I guess," he replied absently before biting his lip, clearly showing his canines, before he added softly as a thought occurred to him, "No one ever touched them like that."

"Not even your mother?" Kagome asked quietly as her face softened in a mixture of pity and disbelief, "I doubt that she..."

"I'm sure she did. She was... I feel like...but I can't..." InuYasha began slowly as he furrowed his brow and reached up to pull her talented fingers away. Opening then closing his mouth a few times, his face morphed into one of utter confusion, "I can't remember if she did or not. She must have though. I don't..."

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked as a nervous pit grew in her stomach when he he averted his eyes and clearly withdrew into himself, "What..."

"I can't remember her," InuYasha commented absently before he began chewing the inside of his cheek, "I _don't_ remember her."

The blood in Kagome's veins went cold as he visibly racked his mind for some memory of the woman who'd raised him. Kaede was right. His mind _was_ slipping away.

"What was her name?" Kagome asked pointedly as she cupped his chin and forced him to look at her, "Do you remember her name?"

If anything, he looked even more confused and slightly panicked as he shook his head. Swallowing thickly, he gasped at her before releasing a shuddering breath, "I can't remember. I _know_ I know it or...or that I knew it... but...but Kagome, I _can't_ remember. Why can't I remember?"

"It'll be okay," Kagome responded hoarsely as she tried to give him a reassuring grin as realization bloomed in his eyes, "We'll..."

"It's affecting my mind isn't it?" InuYasha asked quietly as he visibly paled, "The spell. It's making me forget isn't it?"

"Kaede said..." Kagome began slowly as Inuyasha's amber eyes dilated in full blown panic. The rest of her words were cut off, however, as InuYasha reached forward and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"I won't forget you. That...that won't happen," InuYasha whispered anxiously - more to himself than to her as his mind raced frantically, "But you'll change me back, right? You'll fix it before...before..."

"I..." Kagome began hoarsely before she was torn from his embrace and she woke with a startled gasp from her place on the floor of Kaede's hut. Inuyasha for his part tried to slow the erratic beating of his heart - his mind racing a mile a minute as he tried to remember what else he might have forgotten. The more he thought, however, the more seemed to go missing. Everything he tried to remember one second would be gone the next. Sights, sounds, people. The events that shaped his life. That made him who he was today melting away until he finally dropped to his knees and screamed in pain before fading away into the mist.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Dawn's light brought no relief or comfort to anyone. Kagome's startling revelation plagued their minds and sent their nerves running ragged. He was already forgetting little things. How long would it be before he began to forget more important things about his life? It wasn't like he'd ever really mentioned his mother before. Miroku had just pointed out that tidbit when Kagome sighed heavily and groaned in frustration.

"He loved her so much," the miko huffed as she buried her face in her hands, "You guys didn't see it. Sesshomaru tricked him into thinking his mother was alive. He loved her. It was so clear. And she's the reason he's a half-demon. He has to think about her every time he's human. You know he does. Plus he still leaves flowers on her grave. You guys saw it. That he can't remember his mom is _bad_. _Really_ bad."

"Well, they should be arriving today," Sango replied numbly as she pulled her knees up to her chest, "Hopefully, we can figure out a way to change him back. Kaede is still in the temple looking at scrolls."

Almost as if on cue, Kaede suddenly pulled back the reed mat that served as her door with a scroll in hand and a somewhat weary look on her face. Dark circles were present under her eyes and as she released a might yawn, it was clear to all that she hadn't slept a wink in her effort to find a solution.

"I believe I have found something," Kaede announced groggily as she moved to sit down - releasing a groan as she did so, "What little comfort it may provide."

"Well, how do we fix him?" Kagome breathed hopefully as she beamed at the elderly matron, "Is it simple or..."

"That it up to ye to decide," Kaede replied wearily as she pulled out a single scroll, "The answer may not be what ye expect."

Damn near ripping the parchment out of the old miko's hand, Kagome's sapphire eyes scanned it once. Then twice. And then a third time. With each glance the frown lines around her mouth deepened and her brows knitted together in confusion before she released a low groan and flipped the item to read the back.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Kagome huffed in frustration as she rolled her eyes and held up the piece of paper, "This isn't helpful at all. Are you sure this is even _related_?"

"What does it say, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked quietly as she scooted closer to her friend and gently took the parchment. It was a similiar sight as the slayer read over the paper multiple times - flipping from back to front - before mumbling dejectedly, "It's just a poem and some doodles."

"A poem that is written on the back of a incantation," Miroku pointed out as he too grabbed the paper and flipped it over, "I recognize the symbols. It's encoded. Probably to prevent an untrained priest or priestess from using the spell."

"Lemme see," Kagome sighed as she took the parchment back and began to read in a defeated tone.

 _ **"Let this be your last**_

 _ **For I release and repent**_

 _ **Even monkeys fall.**_ _ **"**_

Sighing heavily, Kagome stared sadly at the writing on the page before turning watery sapphire eyes onto the elderly miko, "This means _Kikyo_ has to release him, doesn't it? _She_ has to forgive him."

"I'm not so sure," Miroku replied thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin and averted his eyes to the wooden beams overhead, "It could merely mean forgiveness in general for a past wrong - by anyone and not just her. Or that the caster recognizes everyone has faults. Or perhaps it's an action. It could be simple."

"Ay, it could," Kaede replied as she nodded knowingly before sighing heavily as she presented a second piece of parchment, "But alas there is more."

"More?" Kagome muttered dejectedly as she accepted the second paper and groaned before pinching the bridge of her nose and scrunching up her face, " _Great_. _More_ poems. _Lovely_."

"Let me read it, Kagome-chan," Sango breathed as she plucked the paper from her friends hand and cleared her throat before reading.

 ** _"One lonely crane cries,_**

 ** _A grieving bird in a cage,_**

 ** _Longing to be free."_**

"So, um...that one...I..." Sango began slowly as she cringed and glanced up at her exasperated looking friend, "Maybe...maybe it's about love? Maybe she needs to love him?"

"Or maybe someone got bored and decided to write nonsense," Kagome clipped heatedly before sagging in defeat and waving her hand dismissively, "What's the next one?"

"I think it's part of the same," Sango murmured quietly as her eyes scanned and the page and she began to read once more.

 _ **"Burden not my heart,**_

 _ **All pain long since forgotten,**_

 _ **Stretch your wings and fly."**_

"So, we're back to forgiveness," Kagome groaned as she rubbed her hand angrily up and down her face, " _Kikyo_ has to forgive him for admitting he loved _me_. We're _screwed_. We're _so_ screwed. That bitch never lets _anything_ go."


	9. Fetch - Chapter Nine

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 **Fetch**

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Inuyasha was floating. Darkness. Cold. Empty. Darkness. Nothing but darkness. And he floated through the darkness. The silence. Alone. All alone. Emptiness. So much emptiness. Nothing here. Nothing at all. So alone. The darkness was closing in. Terror grew in his chest stealing the breath from his lungs. It was suffocating. So hard to breathe. And the pain. Oh god the pain. In this intense silence he somehow screamed with his whole body. The eyes wide with horror, the mouth rigid and open, his chalky face gaunt and immobile, fists clenched with blanched knuckles as his chest arched forward and his claws digging deeply into the palms of his hand. So dark, so empty. So silent. Cold. So very cold. So cold and dark. So empty and silent. And so alone. _Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone_.

How did he get here? _Alone. Alone. Alone._ Inky blackness flooded his vision and the silence…oh the silence was absolute. _So empty._ How had he gotten here? _Alone. Alone. Alone_. What had happened? Had he done something wrong? _So alone_. His breath came out in short painful gasps. What had he done? _Darkness_. Why was no one looking for him? _So very cold_. Was he really all alone in the world? A world he couldn't quite remember. Who was he? _Alone. Alone. Alone._ Didn't anyone care about him? Why was he… _alone, all alone_. He felt like weeping but the tears refused to fall. This fact distracted him slightly as he emitted another painful gasp. Who was he? What had he done? Why was he all alone? _Alone. Alone. Alone_. He was so afraid of being alone. That terrified him like nothing had ever terrified him before and this only increased his confusion. How could he know that if he didn't know himself? What was happening? _Alone. Alone. Alone_. Didn't someone care about him? Why did no one care? _Alone. Alone. Alone. All alone._ Had he always been here? Why couldn't he remember? Had he just bloomed into existence? Why? What had he done? _Silence_. No one was answering and his _confusion_ , his _terror_ increased exponentially. Everything was gone. Forever gone. _So much pain_. Should he try to hold on? Would anyone care? _Pain. All alone. Pain._ _Silence. Darkness. Alone_.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Lady _Kagome_ owns this dog?" Rin scoffed as she clutched the small semi-conscious animal to her chest as they approached the nervously waiting group standing near the well, "Rin will not give him to her. She has been very bad. Very bad, my Lord."

"Rin, you must hand that creature over to them," Sesshomaru chided in his stoic as ever tone, "This Sesshomaru does not allow pets."

"The collar is _much_ too tight and if Lady Kagome lost him once _already_ , she _will_ lose him again," Rin countered as she squared her tiny shoulders and refused to take another step, "Rin would _not_ lose him and would _never_ put a collar like that on him. Rin would be very good to the puppy."

"It is not your puppy," Sesshomaru replied as a faint blush blossomed on his cheeks that quickly vanished as quickly as it arrived, "Return him to the miko."

"Rin _will_ **_not_** ," the small girl countered before turning a heated gaze at the anxious looking miko, "Lady Kagome does not deserve a puppy but Rin has been a very good servant to her Lord. _Rin_ deserves the puppy and would take good care of him."

Sighing almost imperceptibly, Sesshomaru stared down the small child who had set her jaw and was trying her very best to look fearsome. They were still some distance away from the group who seemed torn over whether to approach him first or wait until he came closer. In either case, Inuyasha could not be allowed to be subjected to Rin's strangely oppressive level of care. As it was, the daiyoukai was more than a little concerned that the half-demon had not opened his eyes in several, _several_ hours.

A pointed cough and a deep shaky inhale, drew the impressive demon's attention away from his ward. Amber eyes honed in on the miko who was making her way towards them with a determined look on her face. A very determined look. Almost identical to…

"So I'll take Inuyasha from you," Kagome announced in a tone that sounded much more confident than she felt before she stopped dead in front of him and held out her arms, "Thanks for bringing him.."

" _Rin_ minds," the small little girl clipped back acidly as she took a step backwards and scowled, "You did _not_ take very good care of him. Rin should be the one who has him from now on."

"Rin, he's not even…" Kagome began before trailing off when she noticed the very subtle brow arch and side eyed glance Sesshomaru sent her. Clearing her throat, the miko tried again, "We lost him and we need him back. I promise to take…"

"You _cannot_ promise," Rin quipped back before huffing and narrowing her eyes, "Rin _can_. Her Lord will always protect her. _Always_. He _never_ would leave Rin alone to get hurt."

Smirking slightly, the ten year old glanced around pointedly before arching a brow herself, "Rin doesn't see _your_ demon here. Did he leave you alone in a dangerous situation? _Again_?"

"Listen here you little…" Kagome began heatedly as she took a menacing step forward– momentarily forgetting the daiyoukai standing closeby who stepped in between the miko and his ward with a disapproving frown. Blanching, Kagome immediately straightened her posture and chuckled nervously before the daiyoukai in a graceful movement turned, plucked the puppy from Rin's arms and deposited him into Kagome's empty ones.

"This Sesshomaru shall find you a more suitable pet," Sesshomaru replied sternly as Rin opened her mouth to protest, "You have disappointed me, Rin. Do not do so again."

Her breath leaving her body in an audible whoosh, the little girl paled before clearing her throat and adopting a much more demure attitude as she mumbled dejectedly ' _Yes my Lord._ '

Kagome – for her part – ignored the bizarre exchange in favor of looking over the severely beaten and battered puppy in her arms. So much of his hair was missing in giant patches. The beads…oh god the _beads_ …

"Here, I'll take those off," Kagome sighed sadly as she wormed a single finger in between the smooth stones and the raw, bleeding skin, "Should've taken them off forever ago anyway."

It took more effort than she thought it would and judging by the whimpers of the still unconscious pup, it probably hurt like hell. Finally though, with a small pop, the beads dropped off – spilling onto the meadow grass….

And in that instant? All _hell_ broke loose. The puppy began to grow – his bones snapping, his skin bubbling angrily and his whole body convulsing to such a degree that Kagome accidentally dropped him as he squirmed. He grew larger, more human until finally they were left with a very much naked and relatively back to normal half-demon….

And a screaming, red faced ten year old girl.

"MY LORD, _HE'S_ **_NAKED_**! HE WASN'T A DOG! HE WASN'T A DOG!"


	10. Fetch - Chapter Ten

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 **Fetch**

 **XXXXXXXXX**

" _Oh my god_ ," Kagome breathed - all her breath rushing from her lungs in a audible whoosh as her blood ran cold. If she didn't know it was him, she wouldn't have recognized the beaten and battered hanyou before her. His face sunken in, his skin clinging to his skeleton, his hair...those sores...just... _everything_.

Miroku - to his credit - seemed to be the only one capable of reacting as he rushed forward - removing the purple second layer of fabric from his being as he went before throwing it haphazardly atop the obviously dying hanyou. Kneeling down beside him, Miroku gently reached up and began inspecting the injuries still visible - his jaw set so tight muscles were jumping angrily. At this, Kagome managed to come to her senses and shook herself before moving to kneel beside him as well. From the close proximity, his tortured struggles to breathe grated against her nerves - each short, painful gasp escaping his lips feeling like a knife in her heart. Deep bruise-like circles sat under his eyes, his skin a disconcerting yellow...half of his bangs and both forelocks were missing entirely along with heartbreaking sections atop his head. His ears were trembling sporadically and it didn't take long for Kagome to realize they were matching the irregular beating of his heart. He was dying.

"You need to take him to your era," Miroku commented softly as he glanced up at the miko, "Perhaps they have something that will help him more than any herb in ours."

"Do you think it was the beads?" Kagome murmured sadly as her trembling fingertips traced the angry red pustules around his neck, "That she put the curse on the beads, I mean?"

"That would appear to be the case," Miroku sighed heavily as he furrowed his brow, "I never liked Kikyo but I never imagined her capable of something like this. This evil act would put even Naraku to shame."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Kagome commented absently as she glanced down at the monk's covered palm - recognizing that him making such a statement was not done lightly, "But I will agree that it's pretty evil."

"Naraku always has a motive. A clear intent," Miroku replied bitterly as he held his palm up and ran a single finger down it, "My Grandfather was given the wind tunnel after he almost killed Naraku. The wind tunnel was to prevent him and any descendants from getting that close again. It was to protect himself. The demon slayers were a threat. Kikyo was a threat as was InuYasha. Naraku's reasoning is logical however evil it may be and his ultimate goal is clear but this...this is something much more dangerous. She did this merely because she could. For no other reason other than to inflict suffering. To punish."

"The undead miko wanted an alliance," Sesshomaru cut in with his typical emotionless tone - making both the monk and miko jump slightly as his presence has been momentarily forgotten, "To defeat Naraku but This Sesshomaru suspects that to be a lie."

"Why did you help him?" Miroku asked wearily as he quickly got to his feet and stood bravely between his friends and the daiyoukai - his hand firmly grasping the beads with the clear threat that they would be utilized, "You hate him. Why return him to us at all?"

"Are you blind?" Sesshomaru asked softly as he arched a single brow at the taken aback monk, "Half-breed he may be but my father's blood runs in his veins. It has not been my intent to kill him in quite some time."

"So _why_ \- pray tell- do you try to attack him _every_ chance you can?" Miroku challenged as he set his jaw and stared him down - noting that Sango has joined them and was taking an equally protective stance, "That..."

"Many would challenge him directly. Many have," Sesshomaru pointed out as though it was clear fact and beyond obvious - which in truth it was, "Yet none have come close to defeating him. Tell me. Who else is strong enough to challenge him when his youkai overruns his mind? Who else possesses the ability to know when the Tessaiga is strained from the effort of keeping him balanced? This Sesshomaru challenges him whenever such an event comes to pass. Whenever Tessaiga calls to Tensaiga whether it is clear to you mortals or not. I injure him, yes, but answer me honestly. Have you ever seen him stop unless he was unable to get up?"

"Do you honestly expect..." Miroku began heatedly as he hands clenched the beads tightly and his jaw set once more before a slight tug distracted him.

"Miroku, we need to get him to the well," Kagome interrupted as she pulled at the monk's navy robes when she realized he wasn't going to stand down, "Leave the past in the past or Inuyasha might not have a future."

Huffing slightly, Miroku nodded once before relaxing his stance just enough to move and attempt to lift the hanyou who was much heavier than he looked. after a few moments of awkward struggling, the daiyoukai stepped in and scooped up the broken looking half-demon before arching his brow with a conceitedly amused air. Rolling her own eyes, Kagome mumbled an awkward thanks and gestured for him to follow her to the well.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _Alone. Alone. All alone_. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. The solitude he could've dealt with but was the pain really necessary? He could feel his mind slipping further and further away. Thoughts becoming disjointed – his confusion hanging heavy in the black hole he'd found himself in. _Alone. Alone. All alone_. It had taken him an awkwardly long time to realize that he didn't have a body. That he was more of a state of consciousness – if anything – suspended in this place without time or frame of reference. Was he here to wait for something to retrieve him? Did he have a purpose? How could someone hurt so much when they didn't even had a body? _Silence. Darkness. Alone._ Every once in a while he could swear he heard a voice. Someone speaking gently in his ear and telling him everything would be alright. No matter how hard he tried though…no matter how loudly he screamed and begged….the voice eventually faded and he was left alone again in his slow descent into madness. _Alone. All alone._

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

Convincing the daiyoukai to drop his unconscious and severely injured brother into a dry well had been a challenge. It didn't matter to him how many times Kagome jumped in only to disappear and then reappear moments later. What mattered is whether or not Inuyasha could theoretically follow her given his current condition and more importantly how she would remove him if it were possible.

"I have a pulley on the other side I use when I bring something big," Kagome huffed in frustration as she sagged and put her hands on her hips – officially out of cares to give and having never been afraid of the daiyoukai had no issue with ordering him around, "Now we're wasting time! Drop him in the well!"

It was clear to every sane person in the vicinity that Kagome was pushing her luck. Everything about Sesshomaru's posture screamed danger – the demonic energy crackling around him as he stared down the miko who clearly had no idea how she was coming across or did and had a death wish.

"Kagome-chan, I don't…uh…" Sango murmured awkwardly as she moved closer to her friend in a clear attempt to diffuse the sudden tension, "Maybe we should just calm down and…"

"Inuyasha is dying," Kagome snapped as she clapped her hands together to accentuate the rest of her tirade, "He. Will. Die. If. I. Don't. Get. Him. Home."

"I realize that but…" Sango protested in vain as she sent an apologetic grimace at Sesshomaru, "Perhaps you could…"

"Enough," Sesshomaru finally cut in as he stepped forward and unceremoniously deposited Inuyasha's limp and abused body into the well, "I tire of this interaction."

Nodding once, Kagome bowed quickly and jumped into the well without another word leaving a very tense and awkward situation behind her.

"So…" Sango chuckled nervously as she began to move back towards Miroku, "Um, beautiful weather we've been having?"

"Hn," the daiyoukai replied – the corners of his lips twitching up almost imperceptibly as he turned away and back towards Rin who seemed to be dealing with the disappointment that she wasn't going to have a pet after all. Glancing over his shoulder, the daiyoukai did something that nearly had Sango dying on the spot.

"You have a cat with you, do you not slayer?" Sesshomaru murmured quietly as his eyes glanced around the clearing. Blinking rapidly, Sango's face morphed from anxious to defensive in 6.5 seconds as she hissed, "You can't have _Kilala_! She's mine!"

"This Sesshomaru would never suggest such a thing," the daiyoukai sneered – his stance radiating thinly veiled rage before he clearly forced his muscles to relax. Huffing once – further throwing everyone in the clear completely for a loop at this sudden somewhat emotional demon – he continued, "How did you come by her?"

"She's been with my family for centuries," Sango clipped back tersely as her hand itched near the boomerang slung between her shoulder blades, "Why?"

"This Sesshomaru would speak with her," the demon responded – his stoic mask fully back in place as he turned, grabbed Rin's hand and headed towards the village.

"Well that was something, wasn't it? Sesshomaru helping Inuyasha and now requesting to speak to our non-verbal friend. Perhaps he's possessed as well," Miroku laughed shakily as he moved to stand beside the slayer before adding in a joking tone as his hand began it's usual course of action – hovering just below it's target, "You know, today might just be a day where the unexpected happens. Things may…"

"If you grab my ass right now, you'll be missing an arm," Sango hissed as she sent the monk a withering glare before storming off towards the village with her head held high.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Mama! Mama! I need some help! Inuaysha is in the well and…and…." Kagome cried out desperately as she rushed into the living room only to freeze mid-sentence at what she saw.

Her mother…

Locking lips…

With a _man_ ….

"MAMA!" Kagome gasped incredulously in a mixture of amusement and anger when her mother pulled back suddenly and blushed a furious red, "Who _is_ **_that_**?!"

"Oh this?" the matron chuckled nervously as she sent the man a nervous glance and cleared her throat before continuing, "Um, this is, uh…Dr. Ortiz. He…he's, uh, a doctor."

Grimacing at the lame finish, Mama Higuarashi blushed more furiously still as she tried to press onward, "Uh, he is doing his residency at the local hospital. I, uh, met him when Grandfather was there after…after the _mask_ incident."

"Ortiz," Kagome repeated slowly as she glanced at the middle aged man on the couch. His skin was a pleasant olive tone, his hair jet black, high cheek bones, a silver fox pattern to his hair….and very clearly _not_ Japanese. Under any other circumstance, this might have been welcome news. In this moment, however….

"Mama, um…I need to talk to you…in _private_ for a moment," Kagome managed to spit out awkwardly as she gave her mother a pointed look, "Concerning my _friend_."

"Of…of course," Mama Higuarshi responded awkwardly as she sent the bemused looking doctor a sheepish grin, "I'll be back."

Following her daughter like a child about to be reprimanded, Ms. Higuarashi couldn't quite keep the shy smile off her face as her daughter turned to face her. Sighing heavily, Kagome began, "First of all, I'm happy you found someone you seem to, uh, like. But…but right now, he needs to go. Inuyasha is hurt. Really bad. And I need to get him inside."

"Maybe Victor can…." Mama began hopefully before grimacing when he saw her daughter's face, "I mean, of course. I'll…I'll talk to…"

"How long has this been going on?" Kagome asked quietly – her tone revealing no small amount of hurt, "Why didn't you tell me? Does Sota know?"

"Oh honey, it's just…you're always going back and forth so I just…I haven't really had a…" Mama Higurashi murmured awkwardly as she gave her daughter an imploring smile, "It's only been a few months. Maybe less than two even. I'm sorry. I just didn't want…."

"We'll talk about this later," Kagome sighed heavily as she chewed the inside of her cheek, "What matters right now is Inuyasha. I need help getting him out of the well."

"Of course dear," Mama replied quietly as she gave her daughter a concerned look and gently cupped Kagome's chin to force her daughter to look at her, "He'll be alright."

When they entered the room, however, Dr. Ortiz wasn't there. Their slight confusion as to where he went or what he might have heard quickly escalated into full blown horror when they heard him exclaim from outside, " _No_ **_mames_**! No he visto un demonio desde que estaba en la Facultad de medicina! No lo creo!"

"Mama is that…" Kagome muttered wildly as she turned wild panicked eyes on her mother and a single phrase escaped her lips in a slow, breathy curse, " _Oh_ **_shit_**."


	11. Fetch - Chapter Eleven

Spanish Translation for last chapter: "No f _racking*_ way. I haven't seen a demon since medical school. I don't believe it!"

Spanish Translation for this chapter: "Shit _ake mushrooms_ *! Damn rope!"

*Curse words replaced with more kid friendly ones for translation purpos

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"Chale! Pinche soga," a gruff man's voice emanated loudly from the direction of the Well house as Kagome threw open the front door and scanned the courtyard - her eyes dilated manically as her entire body language screamed panic. Her feet moved on their own as they raced towards the Well house where undoubtedly this...this man was doing something. He'd obviously seen InuYasha. What else would he be yelling about?!

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Back away from..." Kagome bellowed angrily as she reached the Well house door and gripped the frame to keep from toppling down the stairs before her words were snatched from her throat. The man was still muttering curses as he balanced a rope in one hand and gently pulled the limp body onto the ancient wooden lip of the well before slackening the tension. He'd somehow - in the time it took the miko and her mother to realize he'd come outside - rigged the spare rope and the small cloth that usually held such things as her bike into a sort of hammock. Inuyasha's limp and battered form cradled inside like a overly larger stuff animal before the strange newcomer lowered him onto the floor. Straightening himself up, the Doctor wiped some sweat from his brow and shook his head before kneeling down beside his soon to be patient.

"You'll be okay," Dr. Ortiz murmured quietly as he began to inspect the half-demon's injuries, "Don't worry. You'll be just..."

"Get away from him!" Kagome finally bellowed as she came back to her senses and rushed down the wooden stairs - roughly pushing the doctor away and shielding InuYasha's body with her own, "Now you're going to explain to me this instant why you're acting like he's...he's..."

"A demon with substantial injuries?" the man chuckled goodheartedly as he gave her an understanding smile, "Or did you mean how did I know what he was when I saw him?"

"Both! And...and what language were you speaking and what the hell are you even doing in Japan?! Were you dating my mother just to get to him because you've got another thing coming Mister if you think..." Kagome huffed in frustration - a faint sweat breaking out on her forehead as she gritted her teeth and attempted to look as she seen InuYasha look when facing a foe yet failing _miserably._

"There is so much of the world you don't know," Dr. Ortiz chuckled softly as he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring grin, "The first and foremost being how unfair the world is for those that are different. Your friend here? He's one of the last of his kind. Whether they've been killed off or whether they're in hiding I'm not sure. I'm from Mexico but I left when I was in college. There was a war of sorts in my country at the time. Many students were killed. Many people simply disappeared. So I left and moved to Argentina for who knows what reason and found myself in a similar situation. People disappearing. There one day and gone the next. I kept to my studies and one day a man came into a lecture that they had a treat for us. Several rare specimens they wanted us to perform research upon and those specimens? They were demons...like your friend here. Human in appearance for the most part but possessing abilities that many described as witchcraft. I learned of their kind. The discrimination and abuses they faced. I left shortly thereafter but not after having seen and performed acts that haunt me to this day. They heal so quickly...from things no human..."

The man stopped and released a shuddering breath before he furrowed his brow and averted his eyes, "I hated every minute of it but with people disappearing...those who questioned the government vanishing overnight I made decisions I very much regret. So...so after...after I practiced in Buenos Aires for a few years then immigrated to the United States where I met my wife. She was Japanese and so when her mother took ill we moved back to her home country. And then she fell ill. Cancer took her from me five years ago this November. And that, dear girl, is how I came to stand before you today knowing his kind exist and how I came to this country."

Gaping openly at the stranger, Kagome struggled to find any kind of acceptable response to his speech and came up empty. Instead, she blurted out something she instantly regretted, "So you tortured demons?"

"In a manner of speaking..." the man answered uneasily as he grimaced and sighed heavily, "It sounds wrong but the knowledge I gained from the experience may help your friend here. Perhaps...if I help him...then maybe..."

"You aren't going to lay a god damn finger on him!" Kagome hissed back angrily as she pulled herself up to her full height and pointed an accusatory finger, "I don't know you or if you're story is true! I'm not going to let you hurt him! I'm not so you can get out! **_LEAVE_**!"

"I will not," Dr. Ortiz answered simply as he arched a single brow in challenge, "Your friend will die if he doesn't get medical treatment, demon or no. You can either accept my help or have his death rest on your conscience. Your choice."

"You slimy no good..." Kagome began hotly before a soft painful sounding moan reached her ears and something sharp pricked her ankle. Looking down, she saw Inuyasha's hand twitching weakly by her ankle and as she whipped her eyes to his face, she paled. He was convulsing. Fully and truly convulsing in a grotesque, unnatural, traumatizing…

"Move," the doctor breathed as he pushed Kagome out of the way and began to feverishly work on the boy as he muttered anxiously to himself in Spanish. Whatever he was doing was completely obstructed by his body and before Kagome could intervene she heard a painful, cringe worthy, rattling gasp from the hanyou laying on the floor. Leaning back on his haunches, the doctor ran his hand down his face and sighed heavily as he shook his head, "He's having seizures. He's unconscious. He's malnourished. Most of his wounds are infected. I'm staying and that's final."

"He can't go to..." Kagome began in a shaky, frightened tone as his words sunk in, "You don't understand."

"I won't ask you any questions. In fact the less I know the better," the man began wearily before he grunted and stood to face her with a serious expression on his face, "And I won't tell anyone either. I agree taking him to a hospital is a bad idea. I have no idea what they do to demons in this country and I don't want to find out."

"You…you know what?! FINE! But if he dies, I'll kill you myself! I _swear_ I will," Kagome bellowed hoarsely as she tried to hold back tears and failed. After a moment of awkward silcence, she finally broke down and collapsed onto her knees as she sobbed, "So…so he better not die, alright? He…he _can't_ die."

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Sighing heavily, Kikyo listened to her soul catcher who had come to report on the girl. She had Inuyasha in her possession now and had managed to break the spell. That element of her plan to win back Inuyasha's heart was definitely shot all to hell. It surprised her that that worthless, cruel miko had even thought to remove those beads she abused so heavily. Not that she was one to judge. She had been pretty cruel herself this past month. The spell had been an impulse decision to be sure but once it was done….

He'd forget everything when he woke…. _if_ he woke. Kikyo's plan…after she'd panicked and ran like a bat out of hell….was that once he woke up – essentially a fresh slate – she'd care for him and bring him back to health. Be the person who cared for him and thus, have him fall for her all over again. It became abundantly clear – however – that Inuyasha wasn't forgetting and if she had to guess – for she did not know for sure – some type of deeper connection had been forged between Inuyasha and Kagome. There was something in his manner after he'd slept – a subtle revived hope that kept growing stronger and stronger. So she'd tried – in foolish desperation – to keep him from sleeping, tried to hasten the weakening of his mind and body in a last ditch effort to make it so _she_ was the one caring for him. Then her reincarnation managed to track them down and that was when Kikyo knew. The connection was there. Inuyasha somehow was calling to Kagome and Kagome answered his cries. So….so she gave him to Sesshomaru who Kikyo knew would return him to where he rightfully belonged. It hadn't always been clear to her that the daiyoukai cared for Inuyasha but upon further examination she realized it was all an act to protect those he loved….or at least sort of cared for on some level. She doubted very seriously Sesshomaru _loved_ Inuyasha.

And now – instead of winning back his love – probably the only thing she'd really accomplished was signing her own death warrant. If Sesshomaru didn't kill her, Inuyasha's friends or even Inuyasha himself surely would. All because she made a mistake. People do such stupid things for love and she was no exception. All she could do now was wait.


	12. Fetch -Chapter Twelve

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Every man's life ends the same way. Death doesn't care whether you were wealthy or poor. Death doesn't care if you were loved or hated. Death doesn't care about anything. Death treats everyone equally so ultimately the details of how someone lived and the lives they touched distinguish each individual from another. The trick of life, truly, was how someone dealt with the hand they were given. And nothing in this word stands still. Everything dies eventually. Everything ends. It doesn't matter if you are a lowly little weed, a human being or a half-demon clinging to life. One has to accept that truth as a condition of existence. Inuyasha had never been afraid of dying. He'd said as much to her on several occasions. As it was, he had already lived longer than most. Perhaps he believed he would reborn in a life that wasn't filled with derision and scorn. She'd never asked. She had never even thought to ask whether he truly wasn't afraid or whether it was just merely his usual bravado. And so the question remained whether someone could say Inuyasha was still alive just because his heart still beat.

The few times she'd managed to fall asleep she'd found herself in a dark, soundless void. Every second she spent in that place felt like she was drowning. She could feel it, between her chest and her throat, the sheer pressure of the place crushing her very soul. Inuyasha had to be there and yet he wasn't. All the searching in the world couldn't find him. The man he had been…he was _gone_.

"Kagome?" a gruff man's voice suddenly called out quietly quickly followed by a soft rapping on the door, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," came the miko's hoarse response as she quickly wiped around the tears cascading down her face and tried to compose herself as much as possible. The machinery currently hooked up to the man she loved taunted her with each nerve wracking whir. The unsteady beeping of the heart monitor mocking her. The IV in his hand and the steady drip of whatever the hell that doctor was giving him making her want to fall to her knees and scream. That…that ' _doctor'_ who _conveniently_ was there and so _conveniently_ knew demons existed and so _conveniently_ dating her mother and so _conveniently_ had all this equipment available and so _conveniently_ swore to never tell anyone. It was all so _convenient_ , wasn't it? Suspiciously so.

As Dr. Ortiz fiddled around with the various implements and gadgets, Kagome kept a watchful eye. Every time he produced a new vial she demanded to know its purpose and name. Demanded he kept a written log of Inuyasha's treatment and his vital signs. She'd already checked with vital records and the medical board to validate that he was indeed who and what he said he was. Still, it was so damn _convenient_.

"He's doing a little better," Dr. Ortiz sighed heavily as he cast a nervous glance at the teenager currently doing her very best to look fearsome and formidable, "He hasn't woken at all?"

"Not that I'm aware," Kagome replied dryly, "And I've been with him every second."

"So, your mother told me. You must love this boy very much," he chuckled as he gave her a sympathetic smile, "How is it that you know him? Has he always been here? In the shrine I mean."

"It's none of your business how I know him!" Kagome quipped back defensively, "I know him. He's here. That's all you _need_ to know."

"I was trying to determine whether he has been vaccinated," the doctor asked as he gave the little spitfire a slightly irked look, "Whether he has a family history of any diseases. Whether he has any allergies. And _why_ , if you are such good friends with this boy, is he in this condition?"

"You said you _weren't_ going to ask any questions!" Kagome retorted hotly as she narrowed her eyes, "And…and how dare you blame me for this!? Do you know how long it took me to…."

Freezing, Kagome's throat clenched as she realized she'd revealed something and was on her way to revealing more. The doctor, however, merely gave her a reassuring smile.

"From what I know, it is very common for demons to live in hiding," he opined wisely as he continued inspecting Inuyasha's vital signs, "For good reason too I imagine. It is better for them if people think they don't exist. The only detriment I see here for not telling me the truth is that you don't trust me and that is fine. I wouldn't trust me either. However, over the past year I understand you missed _months_ upon _months_ of school. In the two months I've been dating your mother, I never even _saw_ you. Not once. Then you shown up with a severely injured demon who for some reason is at the bottom of a dried up well. And I've looked into you as well Kagome. For all the illnesses your grandfather invents, you haven't seen a medical doctor in over a year. Strange, isn't it? Wherever could you be going for months on end?"

"None of your business," Kagome snarled as she flushed a brilliant crimson and turned her gaze towards Inuyasha, "You said…"

"I am aware of what I said," the doctor laughed softly, "Japan has so much literature on demons. Have you ever heard of the Shikon No Tama? Of course you have! Your shrine sells replicas. I was curious some time ago about the origin of the legend. Coincidence purely. Fascinating story filled with intrigue, revenge and brutal murders but also love. A love that transcended time itself so the story goes."

Grimacing uneasily as the doctor gave her a knowing look, Kagome chuckled nervously and did her best to look dismissively, "Been listening to Gramps, huh? That's too…

"It's quite interesting. This legend I found?. Was written by a monk who lived centuries ago. A first hand account," the doctor continued idly as he adjusted some of the nodules on one of the many machines Inuyasha was hooked up to, "Miroku I believe his name was. His companions fought beside him against a demon named Naraku. Curious isn't it? Do you want to guess their names?"

Shaking her head numbly, Kagome paled and waited as the doctor continued his story that was stranger than fiction, "There was Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome. All fierce warriors and companions of this supposed writer from so many centuries ago. Do you want to guess…"

"You obviously know so cut the crap," Kagome finally huffed in frustration as she narrowed her eyes, "So what do you want?! To do experiments?! Money?! Because you've got another…"

"Aren't you curious where I found this story?" Dr. Ortiz interrupted as he gave her a strange look, "It wasn't just from _any_ book you might find in a library."

"Don't tell me. It conveniently fell into your lap from the sky," Kagome snarled with false bravado, "Or better yet magically appeared on your…"

"It was an heirloom from my wife's family. Meticulously preserved in the temple her ancestor inherited," he interrupted softly, "Along with some paintings, vases and some interesting ancient weapons. I only realized you two were that Kagome and Inuyasha yesterday when I was looking through the storage unit. I hadn't been there in years but just seeing your friend...well its not a common name yet I distinctly remembered reading it somewhere. I wanted to see whether there was something there. Her mother was so much like your grandfather. Full of stories of demons and magic. I blamed dementia but now I'm not so sure."

"Does it say what happens to InuYasha? Do we...I mean, it's just a fairy tale obviously but...but how does it end?" Kagome asked desperately as she threw caution to the wind, "Can I see it?"

"It doesn't say," the doctor admitted sheepishly before pulling out a small plastic covered piece of paper from his pocket, "It looks like it was more of a will of sorts. Mainly last wishes and...and it addresses each individual. That's how I knew it was you. There is no way someone from Feudal Japan could know of instant ramen as it hadn't been invented yet."

"Lemme see," Kagome breathed as she ripped the small paper from his hand and began mouthing along with what she was reading.

 _'Most Revered Master Mushin._

 _It has been some time since I last wrote to you but recent events have made me realize the importance of communicating your wishes and giving those you have affection for a sense of peace if indeed the worst comes to fruition. The wind tunnel is spreading. It is painful but pain is nothing. It is death that concerns me. Life itself is a frightening image for every human being and being strong isn't easy. We recently were attacked by a moth demon and I fell into his trap. In my mind's eye, I witnessed my friends one by one being consumed by the void in my hand. Nothing had ever terrified me more. I long ago accepted that I would be devoured by this curse but I would die a second time if my companions were destroyed with me._

 _In the event that I must leave them to face my fate alone, I pray for you to impart these words to them._

 _To Lady Kagome. Through you, we have all found hope that one day Naraku would be banished from this land and redemption for those mistakes we have made in the past. In so many ways, you have saved us all. I pray that you continue to have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires and a manner about you that can soothe even the most troubled soul. To Inuyasha. The world has bestowed upon you nothing more than scorn and derision. I pray that you know in your heart those callous words carry no weight. Over the course of our journey, I have witnessed you give more of yourself than any man should. In our stead, you have incurred the most egregious of injuries and yet you lack the bitterness that consume so many. Without you, I surely would have died shortly after our meeting yet you risked your life to save mine and I am forever grateful. You are nothing more and nothing less than a brother to me. I pray that you find happiness, peace and a woman to bear your child. To Shippo. I am so proud of you. You are so brave for one so young. Like the rest of us, you have lost so much and suffered atrocities no man should ever have to bear. I hope you know you are not alone and that you are loved. I hope that brings you comfort. To Sango. Despite those wrongs committed against you and your family, you have the purest, most loving spirit I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. The world would forever be bereft if you were to leave it before your time. Although I have passed, I beg of you to stay strong. So many times I have seen you push yourself in the limit without regard to whether you live or die. There have been times when you've openly confessed your intention to take your own life and not even the wind tunnel has terrified me as thoroughly as those words. Although I was nothing but a lecherous monk in this life, I love you completely with both body and soul. I was not a good man by any stretch of the imagination. I indulged in desires of the flesh and had no shame in seeking out physical pleasure. Despite this, please know that you above any other woman I have ever encountered were the love of my life and I would have given anything to share my life with yours. Find happiness dearest Sango for you are loved. To them all. It has been my highest honor sharing these past few months fighting by your side. There have been so many things I have learned from you from the discovery of instant ramen and bicycles to learning what it means to be a family. I consider you all my family and it is with deepest regret that I must leave you. I pray that you all find happiness and peace. I beg of you to pray for my soul and that we may meet in the next life._

 _To Hachi. Over the years you have been a most faithful and loyal companion. Partially out of fear that I would destroy you with my wind tunnel but that is beside the point. You have been a most valued confidant and I am forever grateful to you being in my life. May you find happiness and peace my friend. To you Master Mushin. You raised me. You raised my father. For decades you have cared for my family and treated us as one of your own. You are so much more than just a mentor. You were my father when I had none._

 _Miroku'_

"This was months ago," Kagome murmured quietly as she glanced over the letter once more a tear slid down her cheek before sighing sadly to herself, "Oh Miroku, why haven't you told us?"

"My promise to keep this to myself still stands," Dr. Ortiz offered tentatively as he gave the girl a weak smile, "But I must ask. How do you manage to travel four hundred years into the past?"

"The well," Kagome admitted softly as she let out a shuddering sigh as she lowered the parchment onto her lap, "But only Inuyasha and I can use it."

Nodding wisely for a moment, Dr. Ortiz suddenly shook his head and frowned, "So he had a _black hole_ in his hand? How on earth..."

"We're trying to defeat a demon named Naraku. He's the one who cursed Miroku," Kagome admitted - realizing that the gig was up, "and collect jewel shards for the Shikon No Tama."

"This shrine sells replicas, doesn't it? Is that why?" Dr. Ortiz asked curiously as he sat on the edge of the bed, "Or is it just coincidence?"

"Probably both," Kagome chuckled nervously as she chewed the inside of her cheek, "I always assumed we won since there are...well I thought there weren't still demons in this time. I've seen a few though so I guess it's possible Naraku is still around. It is a relief though that your wife's existence means that Miroku did manage to reproduce. God knows he asked enough women it'd have to happen eventually."

"I think it means that he married this Sango woman," Dr. Ortiz mused thoughtfully before he added reassuringly, "And that you were successful in your quest. I also take it that Inuyasha will be fine as well and together you'll do amazing things."

"Thanks?" Kagome responded awkwardly as she cringed, "Uh...so you aren't going to try to stop me or tell anyone right?"

"It sounds like you have a history altering mission and I wouldn't dare interfere with that. After all, if it's not successful, I would've never met my wife," Dr. Ortiz replied sadly, "So no. I'm not going to tell anyone because if I did, so many lives would be forever changed. You might never have been born. Most certainly my...my wife wouldn't have been which means my children wouldn't have been."

"You have kids?" Kagome asked curiously as she gave him a strange look, "They can't be much older than me."

"Much younger actually," Dr. Ortiz chuckled as he rolled his eyes, "The youngest is six and the oldest turns eleven on the 21st of this month. Both boys. They spend a lot of time with their Aunt, Uncle and cousins due to my work schedule. I've brought them over here a few times but given the circumstances, I think a visit at this moment would be inappropriate to say the least."

"I am sorry about your wife," Kagome offered softly as she gave him a sad smile, "That's awful."

"Hopefully you'll never have to feel that pain," Dr. Ortiz responded with a heavy sigh as he glanced down at Inuyasha, "I'll save him if its the last thing I do. You're far to young to have to bear that burden. That's what I lo... _like_ so much about your mother. She knows that pain and has persevered."

"Uh huh," Kagome responded slowly as she gave him a wicked look, "Well I'm glad that you know what's happening. The truth I mean."

"Who would've guessed we were so intimately connected?" the doctor joked weakly before his face fell and he got to his feet, "You know, she would've loved to have met you but fate is such a fickle thing. It was my destiny to be here in this moment and there is no fighting destiny."


	13. Fetch - Chapter Thirteen

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The absolute absence of light that had bothered him so much at first had long since become normal. The pain too was subsiding from his non-existent body. It was becoming harder and harder to think in any type of linear matter and he wished more than anything that he could merely fade out of existence. It wasn't like there was any reason to stay. He had no idea who he was and it was painfully obvious no one knew he existed. In fact all that seemed to exist is him and his pain. Maybe he was dead? If that was the case, he wondered if this was merely hell. What did he do to deserve this? Why couldn't he remember? Whatever it had been it must've been something very terrible. Terrible enough to be banished here and forgotten. Left alone with only misery and pain as his companions.

There were moments where a woman's face would suddenly blossom into existence if just for a moment. She'd smile at him. Her sapphire eyes so full of love. Love for _him_ or so he had hoped. For a fleeting instant, he thought he'd been granted salvation and then she'd disappear just as quickly as she had come. It had only happened a few times but those few times were the most torturous moments of this entire experience. This had to be hell. Did he believe in hell or an afterlife? Was he religious? Did he even have a name? Did she? Was she even real or just a figment of his imagination? He didn't know but…why else would everything hurt so much? So he remained alone. Alone. All alone.

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Kagome sat as she had for the past two weeks by Inuyasha's side. Her knees were pulled tightly against her chest and she tried to study as much as she could. It wasn't even about getting ahead on her studies. It was a welcome distraction from the heart wrenching possibility that Inuyasha might be gone forever. Sighing, Kagome balanced her textbook on her knees and groaned before jumping out of her skin when Inuyasha emitted yet another thread of pathetic whimpers beside her. At first she'd thought it meant he was waking up but anymore she knew it just meant he was in extreme pain. She'd found that fondling his ear seemed enough to calm him down by trial and error so reaching over she gently took one fluffy triangle between her fingers and began to message them gently.

"I wish I could do this when you're awake," Kagome murmured quietly to the unconscious hanyou, "You can't tell me you don't like it."

A contented sigh leaving his lips confirmed her theory and as he settled back down – as she continued her ministrations of course – she turned her attention back to her textbook. She might as well have been reading Greek as she was looking at all these calculus problems. They all just looked like doodles to her. There was no point when she was never in class to learn what it was she didn't even know she didn't know.

"You know Inuyasha? I really probably should just drop out," Kagome groaned as she set down the textbook with her free hand and looked down at Inuyasha, "That'd probably make you happy. How about this? If you come back to me, I'll drop out of school and spend all my time with you. But you have to come back to me."

Chuckling darkly to herself when all she received by way of reply was a soft whine of protest when she released his ear in order to adjust herself by laying down beside the poor man before reaching up to cup his face as a stray tear slid down her face, "I promise I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just come back. I need you. Just wake up and come back to me. Come back."

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Floating in the darkness, Inuyasha choked back a dry sob as pain tore through his chest. It wasn't all physical either. The crippling terror. The…the… _Alone. Alone. Alone. All alone. Forever alone. Darkness. Silence._ Suddenly, he felt a pressure against his being. With a painful gasp, his whole being recoiled away from it and he willed himself to just vanish before it reached him. He didn't want to be found. _Alone. Alone. Alone._ He must've done something but…but why didn't he want to be found? Who was he? _Alone_. Why did it hurt so much? It was so hard to hold on. Why was he trying? _Silence. Darkness. Alone_. Where was he? Who was he? Silently he begged for the presence to tell him for he did not know. _Pain. So much pain._

"You know Inuyasha?" the presence suddenly called out softly – sounding garbled and so far, so very far. He could feel a pressure against him and he flinched away in surprise. It hurt. It hurt to be touched. Furrowing his brow he let out another painful gasp. He could feel….it…it was searching for him. Was he…was he not alone after all? Someone was searching for him. Was it him? Was that his name? Or was it… _Alone_.

And then it found him. With a painful gasp, he tried to wrap his mind around the sensation. _Warm. So very warm_. What was this? The presence surrounded him, embraced him…was…was worried about him…so much fear. _Was he not alone?_ The pain It was fading. He could breathe. He could…why was it so worried? _Hope_. _So warm_. _Not alone_. It cradled him with relief and took away the pain. It was worried. Still so worried and…and…something…it felt foreign…what was this? _Love_. He was loved. Someone _loved_ him. He wasn't alone. It held him and…and he flinched before he sighed in relief. It was so soft. So gentle. _So happy_.

 _"If you come back to me, I'll drop out of school,"_ the presence whispered with a shuddering sigh of relief as it's gentle pressure rushed over him, _"I'll spend all my time with you but you have to come back to me."_

Not alone. He wasn't alone. He was loved. This presence loved him. Was this real? Had he gone mad? _No more silence_. A voice of soft love and kindness. Calling. Calling to him to follow. Taking the pain away. Making it easier to breathe. _Love_.

" _I promise I'll do whatever you want me to do,"_ it said. " _Just come back."_ He let the presence gently guide him. _Love_. It loved him. It wanted him. It wanted him to follow " _I need you_." It pulled him forward, softly, gently. He swore he felt a soft pressure on his lips and it filled him with hope. Dare he dream this was real? " _Just wake up and come back to me." Love_. The presence wanted him to follow. He wanted more than anything to comply. " _Come back_." And so he did.


	14. Fetch - Chapter Fourteen

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Slowly opening his eyes, he squinted in an attempt to sharpen the very blurred images before him. Small particles of dust danced across the sunlit room. The ceiling itself was beige and smooth leading down at the edges to equally beige and smooth walls. To his immediate right was a strange box that was emitting soft unnatural beeping noises that he slowly realized was matching the beating of his heart. Glazed amber eyes followed the wires coming out of the machine almost lazily to the point where they connected to his body before equally lazily turning their apathetic gaze towards the strange tube attached to his arm. That too was attached to something hanging above him and with great effort, he turned his head to look at up at the clear bag filled with unidentifiable clear liquid. The movement further alerted him to the fact that something was in his nose which he found strange as he hadn't realized it before. It would explain why he couldn't smell anything. He'd almost forgotten scent existed. God, how long _had_ he been in that limitless void?

Sighing shakily, he leaned his head back into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to worry about all these tubes and weird strings or anything right now. He could hear the voice that had saved him coming from the other room and his lips twitched upwards as he felt his very bruised muscles began to relax the longer he listened to her. He'd stay here forever listening to her if she let him. She was worried about him. Well, he _assumed_ it was for him anyway. Talking to another woman and an older sounding man about whether she wanted anything for lunch. Offers to sit by his side while she went and took a ' _shower_ ' - whatever the hell that was - were voiced but quickly shot down by the owner of the most beautiful voice in the world.

"I need to finish these calculus problems first," he heard the woman's muffled voice coming closer and for the first time in what felt like forever he felt something akin to happiness, "Besides, I can tell he's hurting right now and I don't want to leave him too long."

"But Kagome," he heard the older man chide gently, "It wouldn't be for more than an hour. You never leave that demon's side and you need to take care of yourself. He isn't going anyway I assure you."

"Demon?" a strange hoarse, raspy yet amused voice that he assumed must be his escaped his lips before a wry chuckle echoed the sentiment, "Am I a demon? That's weird. Wonder what that means."

Groaning slightly, he attempted to push his body into an upright position but that minimal effort causing his head to swim sickeningly and his back arched involuntarily as pain rushed through his body like someone had ignited a fire in his veins. A soft cry of pain ushered forth from his lips as the damn machine next to him began beeping wildly making the slight headache he had explode into a full grown migraine. While the rest of his body felt relatively light, his head felt like dead weight and his arms trembled from the effort it took to keep him upright. What _happened_ to him? _What…_

"Inuyasha!" came the woman's concerned scream as rushed footsteps echoed painfully in his head before the door was thrust open and there she was. The woman whose face had come to him in the darkness. Her eyes shining with all the love he'd seen in them and which had tears of relief falling freely down her face as she rushed forward to help him lay back down.

"Don't strain yourself," the woman chuckled tearfully as his heavy head gently landed back on the pillow which she fluffed once to make him more comfortable. Moving her hand to gently cup his cheek, she ran her thumb across his skin and gazed at him affectionately yet seemingly lost for words. And him? Oh, he tried to memorize every detail of the woman he could drink in. She was young. Not terribly so but young nonetheless. Inky black hair flowed in gentle waves over her shoulders. Her heart shaped face with a sweet little button nose and long elegant eyelashes outlining deep sapphire eyes dusting over her somewhat flushed cheeks. Her full lips parting ever so as she smiled at him and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I'm so relieved you woke up," she admitted quietly as she pulled back and brush a few stray hairs out of his face, "It's been weeks and you weren't healing like you should have. How are you feeling?"

"I...I know you," he whispered completely mesmerized by his wonderful savior as his heart absolutely melted at the soft smile she gave him - although she did wrinkle her nose indicating that she thought he was up to something before he added quietly, "You're the one who saved me, right?"

The fact that her heart stopping smile fell so quickly confused him and sucking in a painful breath he quickly tried to backtrack – although it was generally difficult to breath he forced the words out in a wheeze, "But that's….good, right? That you…that you saved me. If it was you, I mean. I….I….I didn't…"

" _Shhhhh_ ," the woman crooned sadly as she once again began running her thumb across his cheek which he desperately leaned into as his chest continued to heave erratically and that accursed machine damn near screamed, "It's okay. It'll be alright. My name is Kagome and yours is Inuyasha. I'm your…"

Frightened amber eyes met her blue and her breathing hitched at the confusion but more so the longing apparently in his gaze. Swallowing thickly, the woman cleared her throat and tried again, " _Friend_. We've been fighting alongside each other for more than a year now. Almost two I think. We're in my house right now and…"

"That's not...you're not...not just my _friend_ , right?" he asked in a terrified and confused small voice – his heart still racing wildly as his stomach did flip flops before he continued hoarsely and tears welled in the corners of his eyes, "You're my…my wife or…or something, aren't you? I...I can't remember so...but...you….I _know_ you love me. When you saved me…I just…and then just hearing your voice….we weren't _just_ friends, right? Or…or was that not…am I…"

" _Shhhhhhh_ ," the woman crooned again – her eyes looking considerably happier as that soft smile returned, "I won't say you love me. Not when you don't know me very well right now. But yes, I love you. Very much."

"Oh," was the best reply he could shakily give as he tried to set his jaw to keep from openly sobbing with relief like he desperately wanted to do. He didn't know who he was, where he was or what had happened to him. Didn't know his name or whether he had a family. He was in pain and weak and confused. The more he thought about his predicament the stronger the urge to weep became and as though she sensed this, the woman named Kagome gently crawled to lay beside him on the bed and gently guided his face to the crook of her neck before beginning to stroke his hair. It didn't feel like his hair was very long – which was somewhat disappointing as the sensation of her fingers running through the length was very soothing but when those nimble fingers began to massage his ear ever so, the dam in his being broke and one choked sob was the only warning the woman got before he wrapped one arm weakly around her and began sobbing uncontrollably. It felt like he was crying for every bad thing that had ever happened to him whether he could remember them or not. It felt cleansing and with each wretched intake of breath, with each tear that fell he felt so much _better_.

"Don't cry. It'll be okay," the woman crooned helplessly which only served to earn another choked sob and him weakly arranging himself so he was half laying on top of her – his leg haphazardly placed between hers as he pressed his nose deeper into the crook of her neck, "Don't worry. You're going to be just fine. You'll remember soon and you'll get better. Don't cry."

"I…don't…even…know…why I'm crying," he managed to laugh tearfully as he pulled back and gave her a strange watery grin whilst more tears spilt down his face.

"It's okay," Kagome chuckled softly as she gave him a sympathetic glance and guided him back to his former position before combing her fingers through his hair once more, "Everyone is allowed to cry sometimes and you've got a lot of reasons to cry right now."

And so he did until finally there were more tears and so – spent and exhausted – he allowed himself to fall asleep in her warm embrace which really did make the pain so much less. There was something in the way she cooed happily when he nuzzled her, the way her embrace made him feel safe and loved, the way the gentle beating of her heart played almost like a lullaby. It was so peaceful to just lay there and let slumber overtake him. Despite apparently having been unconscious for the past...however long...he felt so tired. So very tired. So...very...

 _And_ the second he felt himself drift off in her embrace he should've slapped himself. In the blink of any eye, he was back in this hellhole of nothing but pain and agony. He couldn't….this wasn't…

"I can't go back," he panted as panic rose in his chest and he frantically looked for a way out – anything at all that would help him escape, "I can't…I can't stay here. I…no…this…no…."

Screaming in panic and frustration, full blown panic took hold as he completely shut down and collapsed onto his knees before sinking his claws into his short silver locks. His eyes widened, his breathing sharp, ragged and harsh. Not that he could hear it but he could feel the oxygen rushing in and out of his lungs as surely as he could feel the sweat drenching his skin.

" ** _I CAN'T GO BACK THERE! I CAN'T LIVE IN THE DARK ANYMORE! I CAN'T! KA-..."_ **he screamed desperately into the void as he clenched his eyes shut and withdrew into himself before he choked on a sob and began to beg in a watery whisper, "Kagome, help me. Please help me."

"Oh snap the hell out of it, stupid," came a snarky exasperated voice from seemingly everywhere, "God you're pathetic."

"Who are you?" he voiced timidly as his amber eyes frantically searched the darkness, "Come...come out where I can see you?"

"I would but someone is being _stupid_ ," the voice taunted sarcastically before adding a defeated tone, "Besides I can't until your sorry ass finds the key to let me out."

"The key?" he repeated in a confused tone as he tried to quell the panic that was still searing uncontrollably through his veins, "What key? What do you mean?"

"God am I always this dumb?" The voice replied with no lack of disgust, "This is pathetic even for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about and I doubt you do either," he replied defensively with slightly more confidence as he staggered to his feet and took a defensive position, "Now show yourself!"

"What did I just say? I can't until you find the damn key," the voice replied exasperatedly before becoming silent for a moment. With a heavy sigh, the voice added with no lack of bitterness more to itself than to the bewildered half-demon, "Finally mine and I can't do a damn thing about it. That's just great. Just fricking great."

"You mean Kagome?" He asked curiously as he relaxed his position before asking in a defeated ton, "She's yours? But she said...she said she loved me. Why would she..."

"I'm _you_ **_stupid_** ," the voice bellowed angrily as a figure suddenly materialized in the distance. He was bound to a chain so long it would around his entire body with two rings around his neck. One was attached to the chain and the other seemingly attached to the endless void with no end. Two thick irons were fastened around his middle, wrists and ankles secured by a massive padlock so that he neither raise his hands to his mouth or lower his head to his hands. Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in the golden narrowed eyes as his mouth form a thin scowl at the newcomer, "Now hurry up and get me out of this shit. You have the key, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" the shorted haired man asked in a timid voice as his own amber eyes widened in confusion, "How can you be me if I'm right here?"

"Oh god dammit! Let me out!" the long haired man snapped angrily as he tried to fight against the weight of the chains, "I need to get to her! I need to get to Kagome so let me out!"

"I don't have the key," the short haired man answered timidly, "I don't even know where to find it."

"Well isn't that great," the other man hissed as he sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes, "You finally find me and you're _useless_. God, how did I turn out to be _you_? Just my luck."

"How do I know if I let you out that you won't hurt Kagome?" the short haired man countered wearily as he set his jaw and gave the vision an appraising glance, "You seem pretty strong. Enough to break through those chains and overpower me. Why do you need any help from me at all?"

"Don't you think I've tried to get out of this shit?! Besides, don't think for a damn second I would hurt her. I love her dammit!" the chained man bellowed angrily as he bared his fangs and renewed his struggles against the chains once more before continuing bitterly, "How could I not love her? I've never had friends. More than that never had a family since Mother died and now...now I had something pretty damn close. And...and I never told her until recently when I've basically loved her forever because who in their right mind would want to spend their life with someone who doesn't belong anywhere. Made of two halves that equal nothing. I'm not supposed to exist. Been told I should've been drowned the moment I was born. But...but Kagome changed everything."

"She did, huh? Then why are you so angry?" the short haired emaciated man countered as he arched a brow and folded his arms across his chest, "And violent too. Why let you out?"

"I'm not angry! I'm bitter! Anger fades but bitterness tends to stay far longer," the chained vision hissed venomously, "I'm bitter because I'm stuck here while your pathetic ass is free to roam about the outside world with _my_ woman. A woman you can't even begin to appreciate. She deserves better than you."

"And you too apparently," the short haired man snorted derisively, "Apparently everyone wants you dead and you seem to have a temper. Why would someone like her want someone like you?"

"Oh my god, you are the dumbest...I'm you genius! Some bitch cursed us and when Kagome finally finds me I'm a god damn coward. Freaking fantastic," the man sneered hotly as he bared his fangs, "And you look like shit. Pathetic, weak and stupid. I'm doomed."

"Hey! I'm not pathetic," the short haired man quipped back angrily as he set his jaw and glared, "Why the hell would she want someone like you anyway? Aren't you _charming_. All you seem to know how to do is insult people you want help from. What? Did you just insult her too and somehow beat her down into loving you?""

"I...I..." the man stammered awkwardly as his eyes widened and his face fell, "I don't know. I don't know why she loves me. I've never...I've never been a man worthy of her. I've insulted her, been cruel enough to keep her from her family. Go visit that clay pot even though it makes her cry..."

"Why would an inanimate object make her cry?" the shorted haired man snorted before giving the restrained vision a smug grin, "Don't tell me. You made her think a vase meant more to you than she did."

"It's not a stupid vase! It's…it's a woman. A dead woman. Who...who probably never loved me in the first place," the vision admitted begrudgingly as the short haired man gasped in outrage, ""You expect me to believe that this Kagome is the extra woman? That you've been cheating on her?! Do you have no honor!"

"Hey don't judge me you bastard! Like you're one to talk, " the chained man snarled as he began his struggles against the chains once more, "You're acting like you're the one in charge but you're the usurper! You're the one who stole my body and now you're acting like it was justified. You were weak! You gave up! COWARD! YOU COWARD! I swear on my life once I get out of these chains I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp!"

"Thought we were the same person," the short haired man taunted as he smirked at the captive, "Besides I don't even know where to find this key and why would I use it if you are just going to beat me up if I set you free?"

"It's not a real key! It's out there in the real world somewhere," the restrained man snapped bitterly as he stopped struggling for a moment and sighed wearily, "You are me. A pathetic, weak part of me but part of me nonetheless. Now go find that key dammit! I finally had Kagome and I get stuck trapped here like…like…"

"You say you love her but I seriously doubt that," the short haired man snorted, "Sounds like you were cruel to her. Maybe she'd be better off with me."

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?! WE ARE THE SAME DAMN PERSON!" the chained man screamed furiously as his eyes flashed red and his struggles against the chains intensified, "I LOVE HER MORE THAN I LOVE ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD AND I WILL NOT BE KEPT TRAPPED HERE BY THE LIKES OF YOU! FIND THE KEY AND LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT DAMMIT!"

"Maybe I will. Maybe I won't," the shorted haired man snorted as he rolled his eyes and glanced around the darkness, "Besides. How do I even know you're really here?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" the chained man screamed in frustration, "YOU'RE EVERYTHING I HATE ABOUT MYSELF ALL ROLLED INTO ONE! I SWEAR IF YOU HURT ONE SINGLE HAIR ON HER HEAD I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB."

"Like I said, thought we were the same person," the short haired man countered acidly, "You're not selling your case very well."

"You selfish coward! You distrustful, arrogant son of a bitch!" the chained man snarled as purple lines began blossoming on his chests, "I HATE YOU! I _HATE_ **_YOU_**!"

"So you hate yourself?" the short haired man snorted as he rolled his eyes before gasping when he felt a tug at his chest before turning panicked eyes on the man who paled and had sunk to his knees. His gaze was cast onto the ground and his eyes had darkened.

"Maybe I do. Maybe that's just it but I just want to get back to her. Please help me. I'm begging you. I love her dammit," the chained man's voice echoed from all around as he faded – his voice more pained than anything. The words echoing softly all around him as he began to wake up, " _Please_. _I love her. I love her. I love her. Please."_


	15. Fetch - Chapter Fifteen

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 **Fetch**

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"Well anyway, this crow demon stole the jewel and I brought it down with an arrow," Kagome sighed as she ran her nimble fingers through his short hair and scratched the base of his ear, "The jewel shattered and now we're on a quest to find all the shards. Along the way, we've met a monk named Miroku, a demon slayer named Sango, a demon fox kit named Shippo and a demon cat named Kilala. Together we fight to get the jewel shards and trying to find a way to beat this Naraku guy."

"So this jewel makes someone more powerful?" Inuyasha murmured lazily before humming appreciatively when Kagome took one ear between his fingers and began to rub in soothing circles, "What'll happen to the jewel once we get all the pieces?"

"Well, we'll probably need to find a way to destroy it," Kagome commented thoughtfully, "It's too dangerous to be just left out into the world."

"And once we destroy it, the well will close, right?" Inuyasha sighed sadly as he looked up at her, "You'll be gone."

"We don't know that for certain," Kagome replied as she began tracing his jaw line, "Besides…."

"Well what if you just give me the jewel and let me be a full demon? That way the jewel isn't gone forever and you can still be with me," Inuyasha asked curiously, "I'd be more powerful and could protect you better."

"Um, so when you, uh, turn full demon," Kagome began slowly as she averted her eyes and set her jaw to keep it from trembling, "You forget the world around you. You kill people without any remorse. You'd forget us, I think."

"But you don't _know_ that'll happen," Inuyasha countered as he gave her a small smirk, "Maybe I'll just be more powerful."

"Or you could go on a murderous rampage," Kagome snapped a little harsher than she intended before paling and shaking her head, "Before all this happened, I thought you didn't want the jewel anymore."

"Sounds like people are lining up to kill me," Inuyasha snorted as he closed his eyes and shrugged indifferently, "Might as well kill some of them. The jewel would make me stronger. Hell, using a jewel shard on me now would probably make me start healing right and then we could…"

"I'm not using a jewel shard on you!" Kagome gasped incredulously as she openly gaped at the man in her lap with a look akin to disgust, "And you'd never kill someone you didn't have to. You're a better man than that."

"I'm not the same man. I'm not even a man at all. I'm a half-demon," Inuyasha sneered as he shakily pushed himself off of her lap and sat up to face her, "Seems like I don't belong anywhere. I'm not strong enough to beat this stupid Naraku guy. My only family hates me. Why the hell wouldn't I want something that'll at least give me the upper hand?"

"Because you'll go crazy!" Kagome countered angrily as rolled her eyes and clenched her fists in her lap, "You'll kill people!"

"So?!" Inuyasha snapped as he bared his fangs and leaned forward with a sadistic grin on his face, "You're not even going to be around, little girl, so why do you care?"

"Because I love you!" Kagome hissed angrily as tears welled in the corners of her eyes, "I won't let you…"

"Well I don't know you and I sure as hell wouldn't love someone that'll hold me back!" Inuyasha clipped angrily before snorting derisively and sneering, "And it's not like you have any control over me anyway. Even in my condition, I'd be able to kill you without even breaking a sweat."

Recoiling like she'd been slapped, Kagome stared at Inuyasha like she'd never seen him before in her life. Numbly she nodded once before scooting off the bed and heading towards the door with her head held high. Just as her hand gripped the doorknob, she paused and turned around to face him, "You know what?! I never thought you were actually trying but maybe you really _would've_ killed me if I wasn't useful to you at first. You _could've_ killed me that first day but you _didn't_! Know why?! Because you're better than that. You are a good, honorable man who loves his friends and helps people out of the goodness of your heart! Now I'm going to bed and I want you to sit there and think about what you just said."

"Not like it's gunna change my mind," Inuyasha hissed acidly as he narrowed his amber eyes, "And sounds like I was alone most of my life. How do you know what I've done and what I haven't? Maybe I slaughtered entire villages and killed indiscriminately. Besides, who wouldn't want to be stronger and more powerful than they are? Who wouldn't want to have a defined place in the world? You know nothing little girl."

"I know who you used to be better than anyone," Kagome quipped back hotly as she flung open the door, "And you're going to regret it if you seek out the jewel. That much I know."

Leaving the room, she slammed the door behind and earned a derisive snort from the man on the bed before he flopped back on the pillow and groaned. Maybe he needed to try another approach. The girl loved him, right? Or at least she loved who he used to be. He needed that jewel and he'd get it from her if it was the last thing he ever did. All she was doing was holding him back from his full potential. How the hell could he have ever loved someone like her? Groaning slightly, he adjusted himself to be more comfortable as he glared at the ceiling and pointedly ignored the anguished scream that was reverberating through his skull. That chained up nuisance could suffer and scream all he wanted. There was no way in hell that he was ever going to be free.

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 _Greed_. A never ending quest driven by selfish desires which exhaust a man without ever bringing about satisfaction. Desires for power, a place to belong and life eternal. A piece of him that he'd desperately tried to stamp out as of late and which now had full control. After all, he was powerful as he was and he finally did have a place to belong. As it was, he'd probably live a life that was already far too long for his liking. He'd outgrown his greed and tried to shed it best he could. Apparently he did too good a job at it. It had been severed when was trapped here along with his cowardice that had been quite literally beaten out of him long ago. Now it was the only remnant of him that remained and Inuyasha hated it. Why on _earth_ did it have to be that part that broke off and got to escape this hell?! First he was drifting in the darkness now he's all chained up and unable to so much as rest. In all honesty, he wasn't sure which one was worse. was a lie. His current predicament was worse. Way worse.

The piece that had control now didn't care whether Kagome was lost to him forever. Her only significance was that he thought she loved him and greed wanted people to love him. The avarice never ended. He would want her but as a possession. As something that was his and his alone. It wouldn't be love. Not really and Kagome being Kagome would probably stay by his side no matter what he'd turned into. What concerned Inuyasha the most as he remained trapped in these chains was that Greed would most likely seek out the jewel. Maybe even steal jewel shards and possibly kill to attain them. Greed was the part of himself that he hated most. That and his crippling fear of being alone. Both of which were now wandering around in _his_ body, would probably ruin _everything_ and didn't even know what the hell it truly was.

And the worst part was that Kagome didn't know he was still trapped. Kagome thought this disgusting creature was saying things he'd never say normally but thought about or maybe even believed and just never said it. Acting in a way that made his blood boil. Pushing her away just as a life with her became feasible. She'd be gone before he ever really had her.

Unbidden Images of her tucked securely in his lap as they sat around the fire with their friends. Maybe sleeping in the tree or her sleeping bag together. Stolen kisses in the moonlight. Holding her hand. Getting to tell Koga Kagome was his and his alone. Okay maybe that was a selfish one. Little babies with black hair and dog ears who were loved unconditionally by their parents and who would never want for anything. Each one shattered before his very eyes as he sunk to his knees and screamed in anguish. Why did he have to lose her too? Maybe he was selfish for not wanting to lose her but he sure as hell wasn't greedy anymore. His whole life now revolved around someone else entirely. He'd give her anything without taking an ounce for himself. He'd kill for her, die for her….do _anything_ to make her happy. Anything. Her well-being came first.

" ** _YOU BASTARD! LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"_** Inuyasha screamed desperately with no lack of bitterness and anger, " ** _DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER! YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT NOW!"_**

The chains rattled angrily as they were stretched to their limit before snapping as securely as ever and forcing him painfully to his knees. Tears streamed down his face as he hung his head in defeat and sobbed quietly to himself, " _Please_. I love her dammit. She's everything to me. I need to get back to her. Just… _please_."


	16. Fetch - Chapter Sixteen

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 **Fetch**

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"That selfish son of a…." Kagome huffed as a string of curses poured from her mouth as she stormed up the stairs and flung open the door to her room, "I thought we were past all that full demon bull but apparently that desire will exist no matter what happens. It never went away."

Flopping down on her bed and onto her back, she groaned and rubbed one hand across her face, "He had a point though and I can't fault him for that. One day Sango, Miroku and I will be dead while he stays young for centuries more. He always denied it but I know he's afraid of being alone. Maybe….maybe one day I should give him the jewel so at least he'll have a place to belong."

Taking a shuddering breath she closed her eyes and muttered dejectedly to herself, "No, I could never do something that would hurt him and I know that jewel is nothing but pure evil no matter what anyone says. The legend says that it disappeared from the world because of the one true and correct wish. Why would someone wish for it to be gone if it did what everyone thinks it does? Everyone wants it to make them more powerful and power corrupts so then…then the jewel must corrupt their souls or something. There's something off there and I won't have him risking his soul over something so stupid. I love him enough to let him go if he decides to hate me for it."

Groaning once more, Kagome hoisted herself off with bed and trudged over to her dresser, "Whatever. Maybe if I sleep on it it'll be better and maybe he'll know more in the dream world than out here. Maybe he can explain himself."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As he stood in the darkness, covered from head to toe in heavy iron chains, he'd be lying if he said his legs weren't shaking and were supporting his body yet – for some reason – his head was the only thing that was feeling heavy. Clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, his back arched involuntarily as pain rushed through his body and his face contorted in pure pain. Usually his tolerance was inhumanly high but for some reason, here in the darkness there was nothing for it. It had gotten so much worse since that piece of him had been stripped away. The rest of his consciousness trapped in these chains instead of floating through the void unaware of his surroundings. Ah, to go back to that time of sweet ignorant bliss.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry. I never should've gone to see her. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me and come find me," Inuyasha sobbed quietly from his place amongst the chains and the darkness – his voice cracking as he continued, "Please find me. _Please_."

With his eyes clenched closed, he didn't see the way the darkness was slowly subsiding into that soft white world filled with swirling mist. From his place on the ground, he didn't see the miko standing in front of him. Her face pale and sorrowful as she fidgeting and swallowed thickly before finally speaking, "So it's not you running around, is it?"

Eyes flying opening and widening in shock, Inuyasha's gaze snapped directly to her face before sagging visibly in relief.

"You came?" Inuyasha choked in disbelief as he gave her a watery, somewhat manic smile, "I can't believe it. I thought…"

"If you're here, who is it that has your body?" Kagome cut him off softly as she took a tenatively step forward, "He seems to...he said some things that I know you've thought in the past."

"What type of things?" Inuyasha asked wearily - the hoarseness in his voice making Kagome flinch, "I swear whatever the hell that bastard says probably isn't even true. I know what he is. He's...he's..."

Furrowing his brow and coughing lightly, Inuyasha found that he was lost for words. How does one describe something like this anyhow? Oh the worst part of me has control but it's not really me?

"Do you still plan on becoming a full demon when our search is over?" Kagome murmured almost too quietly for him to hear but hear he did, "I'd understand if you still wanted that. After all, I'll die...we'll all die centuries before you. I'd hate for you to be left all alone."

"I have no interest in that shit," Inuyasha responded bitterly as he glowered at her before he blushed and his face fell, "As for you guys dying before me, I think...well to be honest I...I try not to think of that. I mean, it won't be great but I had hoped...well I hope that maybe...maybe there's a way to at least keep you around. Ya know...somehow."

"Would you want to use the jewel on that?" Kagome asked softly as she took another step closer, "On keeping me alive to be with you, I mean."

"No," Inuyasha responded as his knees quaked and he searched her face anxiously, "I don't think that the jewel does what people think it does. Seems like only the bad guys want it. No one wants to use it for good and it...it _calls_ to me. I can hear it sometimes trying to get me to take it. Thing is evil, Kagome. I don't want any part of it."

Taking a deep shuddering breath, he awaited her verdict before breathing a sigh of appreciative relief when she covered the distance before pressing her lips to his once more. Finally they pulled apart, both panting slightly as Kagome once again cupped his face, "I'm so relieved you don't want to the jewel. He had said...wait, who the hell is that in your body again?"

"The worst parts of me. The very worst," Inuyasha breathed desperately as he tried to lean into her touch. The chains chaffing angrily at his neck as he rubbed his cheek along her hand. Sighing quietly, he looked at her affectionately for a moment before his face fell, "You need to leave me behind and go back. Seal my body or wherever but you need to get as far away from him as possible. He'll kill you to get those shards. I know he will."

"But how will I get you out?" Kagome asked as she furrowed her brow and reached up to fondle one of his ears to soothe both her and him, "I can't just leave you like this."

"Listen, this part of me out there? It's my greed and my fear. All it wants is to become more powerful and it'll do whatever it needs to do to get it," Inuyasha breathed anxiously as he tried to fight against the chains to be nearer to her, "It's a part of myself that I've been fighting against and trying to leave behind since I met you. It's the reason I was susceptible to Kaguya. The reason the jewel calls to me."

"You said that earlier. About the jewel calling to you," Kagome asked quietly as she gave him a sad look and pressed her lips to his forehead before whispering against his skin, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Didn't want to scare you," he admitted sadly as he nuzzled the flesh closest to him, "I haven't wanted to become a full demon in a really long time but I…I…there's still a part of me that wants that. That wants the power and the jewel….if I get too close to it, it starts calling to me and god, if I _touch_ it? It takes control."

"So why did he come back and not you?" Kagome asked as she moved to rub her cheek as his, "And why did you keep talking like you wanted the jewel for that reason?"

"He isn't really a part of me anymore so I guess he was more free. And…and I kept talking like that so you wouldn't give it to me. I worried that if it got close to me it'd be all over and I wouldn't be able to stop myself," Inuyasha admitted with a bitter chuckle as he set his jaw to keep it from trembling, "Besides, I didn't want you to trust me enough to give it to me when this was all over. I knew you wouldn't give it to me if you thought I'd only use it for that reason."

"Because I love you how you are," Kagome acknowledge with a soft sigh as she pulled back and glanced down at his chains, "How can I get you out of here so this….this um, other you doesn't do something stupid?"

"Just call him Greed to keep it simple and there's a key," Inuyasha breathed as he tried to hold up the padlock to the best of his ability, "But it's not a real key. At least, I don't think it is. I think you're going to have to ask Kaede would know or maybe even Master Mushin? I don't know. But…but you need to leave him behind. Seal him in that room so he can't get out."

"You might die. You're not healing like you normally do. If I seal you in there...," Kagome answered tearfully - pausing to choke back a sob before she continued, "If the doctor can't get to you, you might die. I can't lose you."

"And I can't see you get hurt," Inuyasha countered earnestly, "Please do as I ask. It's probably just part of the spell anyway. So long as you find that key it'll be fine. I know you'll find the key just like you'll always find me and I'll always find you. Who knows? Maybe I'm already wandering around in your era waiting to find you in a new body because I die in this one but no matter what I'll find you, okay?"

"You're not going to die!" Kagome responded desperately as tears welled in the corners of her eyes and she slammed her lips down upon his before pulling back, "I'll find that key and get you out and everything is going to be fine, understand? Just hold on."

"I love you," Inuyasha whispered affectionately as he gave her a watery smile when she began to shimmer and vanish. As she faded from sight and the darkness once again enveloped him, he visibly deflated as he whispered to the nothingness, "Come back to me soon."

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Gasping wildly, Kagome sat bolt upright in her bed – looking around in a disoriented fashion until her eyes landed squarely on the jewel shards still perched atop her desk. Huffing once in determination, she threw off the covers and began rifling through her desk.

"Come on Gramps. How many of these have you give me?" Kagome muttered to herself as she went through the various items of junk in the drawer, "Sutras. Sutras. Sutras. Ah! There you are!"

Grinning triumphantly, Kagome rushed down the stairs to the guest bedroom, charged several and began plastering them all over the door. Rushing outside, she did the same to the windows and some on the area around it for good measure. It might not hold him long but it'd give her a head start. That bastard Greed would never get anywhere if it was up to her but she had to act quickly. He probably wasn't awake right now which was both a good thing and a bad one. For all she knew, Greed might be torturing Inuyasha or trying to kill him. She had to hope that the key would be something easy to find.

"Alright," Kagome huffed as she rushed into her room and began throwing on some casual clothing before grabbing her backpack and hauling over it shoulder, "Let's go see what I can find out."

As she ran out the front door, Greed began to stir and snarled angrily at the heavy spiritual aura coming from all the plausible escapes. She'd tricked him! She'd put sutras on the doors. He might not remember much but he knew damn well what that aura meant. That bitch trapped him in here! She didn't love him and if she wasn't his, she was expendable.

"Just wait Kagome," Greed chuckled darkly, "These sutras won't hold me forever and then you're gunna give me those jewel shards whether you like it or not."


	17. Fetch - Chapter Seventeen

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Dark circles had blossomed under the young miko's eyes as she scanned and rescanned the various poems that had been collected by the elderly miko. Two more had been found since the last time she'd visited and if anything, they only made the situation so much worse. Whoever the hell wrote these poems had to be the most cryptic psychopath known to mankind.

"Maybe if I read them in order?" Kagome muttered to herself as she inched closer to the small fire burning low in the small hearth before sighing dejectedly as she laid them the parchment out before her, "How the hell do I put them in order?"

"Perhaps if you took a step back?" a weary, exahausated sigh suddenly echoed through the relative silence as Miroku roused himself from his light slumber, "You've been at this for hours, Kagome. Perhaps if you slept, it might become clearer."

"I can't. Not knowing Inuyasha is trapped like he is," Kagome countered distractedly as her sapphire, bloodshot eyes scanned the papers once more, "And even if I tried, all I can determine from these things is that I have to get Kikyo's blood somehow and spoon feed it to him. Forgive me if I don't want to have nightmares."

"The initial poems discovered were about forgiveness," Miroku sighed as he gave up entirely on trying to go back to sleep and quietly made his way towards the miko, "You forgave him when you removed the beads for a past perceived wrong. Perhaps it is two sided? Perhaps he needs to forgive you as well."

"You don't think he's forgiven me for the beads?" Kagome squeaked as she turned wide doe eyes on the monk who cringed and cleared his throat.

"He loves you. We've all known that for some time," Miroku began slowly as he tried to phrase his thought process in the least damaging way, "But this last poem? I doubt it involves the _death_ of the person who placed the spell."

"This is Kaguya all over again," Kagome huffed as she set her jaw and idly moved one of the parchment pieces into a new location, "All these poems and you have to water it down."

"Well it is lucky that someone as educated as you is amongst us," Miroku chuckled as he gave the frustration and defeated looking miko a supportive grin, "Surely, if someone could discover it's meaning, it would be you."

"You must be feeling sorry for me if you haven't even tried to grope me," Kagome teased as she sent him a playful side-eyed glance, "But thanks."

"I would protest that my intentions are misunderstood but indeed in this case, they are understood too well," Miroku sighed sheepishly before he reached over and picked up the poem nearest to him, "This one in particular seems to be the most important and yet the most troubling."

"I mean, how the heck do you get blood out of a woman made of clay?!" Kagome huffed a little louder than she meant before blushing and adding more quietly, "Besides, even if I could, how am I supposed to get, uh, _Greed_ to eat it?"

"This is true but I believe you're being too literal," Miroku murmured quietly before he began to read the troubling piece aloud:

 _ **"So by blood release**_

 _ **Crimson rivers of my tears**_

 _ **Drink of my demise."**_

Throwing her hands up in clear frustration, Kagome set her jaw and gave Miroku a side-long glance as he tapped his chin thoughtfully with one finger before picking up the next piece of parchment and doing the same. On and on he went until he got to the second newest piece to the puzzle of bullshit that was this spell:

 _ **"Have you left me now?**_

 _ **How I fear a painful truth**_

 _ **You were never there."**_

"This one explains our current predicament," Miroku opined thoughtfully before shuffling through the papers until he came across the one concerning blood, "And I think this is the solution to that problem."

"And then there's three on fricking cranes and cages! How do we even know these are related?! They don't fit that theme! This is pointless!" Kagome scoffed as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms tightly across her chest, " I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for that no good little…"

As the miko once again devolved into a stream of curses, Miroku watched her wearily with a morose expression on his face. He had hoped that this side-effect of the spell would have faded now that Inuyasha had returned to his usual form but here she was. Her aura fluctuating wildly between pure spiritual energy and Inuyasha's distinctive youkai. Her mood and temperament once again….. _wait_.

"Kagome? When you sleep is the only time you can communicate with him, correct?" the monk whispered in a somewhat excited tone, "And his current form is merely a piece of him and has stated you saved him."

"What's your point?" Kagome clipped back tersely before she sagged in visible frustration, "I don't see…"

"What if these poems mean that the spell intertwined _souls_? Kikyo bound his soul to her own. Except it _wasn't_ her soul that she possesses but a piece of _yours_. Just a piece. The rest of it…."

"Is in me," Kagome responded with an exasperated sigh before adding snidely, "Just get to the point."

"None of these documents state what happens to the being who placed the spells. All knowledge surrounds the _victims_. You have been connected to him through dreams which is entirely illogical and outside the scope of these poems unless he isn't in your dreams so much as your _mind_ or more accurately your soul," Miroku continued – his tone growing more excited with each word, "Yes the spell was placed on the beads and removing them was a sign of forgiveness but perhaps that was just the _physical_ manifestation. Surely not all beings who had the spell placed upon them had such an object. They're unique and that is why his physical form has returned but not his mind."

"Still not making sense," Kagome huffed as she gave the monk a glare, "Kaede said everyone dies, even demons. It just takes them longer."

"As the victim dies, perhaps so does the caster," Miroku continued – oblivious to her growing ire as he gripped the haiku on blood tightly, "Drink of my demise could merely mean _death_. This other speaks of the victim leaving and never being there. Perhaps because the victim had passed _physically_ but _mentally_ had been gone long before."

Quickly rearranging all the poems, Miroku mouthed along with the words as Kagome watched him with a distinct scowl on her face. Finally, a brilliant smile burst out on his face as he turned a triumphant grin towards his friend, "Do you see? The answer was right here. We just didn't have all the pieces!"

 _ **"One lonely crane cries,**_

 _ **A grieving bird in a cage,**_

 _ **Longing to be free."**_

 ** _"Have you left me now?_**

 ** _How I fear a painful truth_**

 ** _You were never there."_**

 ** _"Burden not my heart,_**

 ** _All pain long since forgotten,_**

 ** _Stretch your wings and fly."_**

 ** _"Let this be your last_**

 ** _For I release and repent_**

 ** _Even monkeys fall."_**

 _ **"So by blood release**_

 _ **Crimson rivers of my tears**_

 _ **Drink of my demise."**_

"I still don't get it," Kagome grumbled begrudgingly as she read over it once more in the order he'd placed them, "So there's a crane – the _victim_ \- that was never there. Pain forgotten. The…the caster repents and releases. Then they die. How is that _any_ different than where we were?"

"You misunderstand. It isn't about the victim. I believe that here the _caster_ is lamenting the silence left by their victim's death. The victims were never really there as their physical forms were elsewhere but there was a bond formed leaving the caster alone once the physical body passed on. The caster has regrets for wrongs forgotten and they are admitting to making those mistakes at the end of their lives,," Miroku replied in mild awe before he sighed and shook his head, "But none of this gives us the key Inuyasha is referring to."

"So this is someone's drabbles on _regrets_?" Kagome groaned as she tried to see them in that light, "Oh god dammit, this means they were never able to change them back!"

"That part we have already accomplished so that is no longer a concern. Inuyasha's physical body has been returned but his mind remains with you. What this does mean that the spell is what is connecting your mind with Inuyasha's," Miroku pointed out as he furrowed his brow and turned his gaze towards the swinging hut door, "Consider this a blessing. He could have been trapped within Kikyo. Small comfort though that may be, he is with you."

"For now," Kagome pointed out dejectedly as she stared down at the useless pieces of paper – the soft orange glow illuminating her face and throwing the deep bruise like circles under her eyes into sharp relief as she repeated softer still, "For now."


	18. Fetch - Chapter Eighteen

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The attic with its low beams was made all the smaller by the heaps of dusty antiquities. Every one of them had been stored in battered boxes awaiting the day someone dare rummage through them again. In truth it was a graveyard, a place for them to quietly die amongst the cobwebs until their sentimental value had waned. Out of sight was out of mind and the pain of parting with the item postponed.

In the middle of the dust and clutter was a solitary, slumped figure sitting atop a heavily worn chest surrounded by piles of books and paintings that cast a heavy shadow on him. Ortiz ran his hand over the worn leather cover of yet another manuscript that had been left to his late wife. It had to be centuries old. The pages were worn down and yellowed from time. The ink faded heavily – barely readable and written in elegant hand.

As he gently pried it open with care and precisions, his eyes scanned the pages as they had done for countless others. His hair lay in a mess, uncombed and uncut from staying up so late and being so unnerved by what he found. Dark circles formed rings around his bloodshot eyes and yet he continued digging. Kagome had disappeared to that other world without so much as a word to her mother. The seals on the doors and enraged snarls of her so-called friend echoing from within speaking volumes. If the family was to be believed, this was completely out of character for the boy who they swore would rather die than lay a finger on that young women's head. There was something wrong. Surely, _surely_ something lay within these volumes that would provide answers. A story such as theirs would hardly go unwritten and untold in the ledgers of history.

"There must be something," he muttered hoarsely to himself as he desperately scanned the worn pages, "I know I've seen that name before but _where_?"

He was speaking, of course, to the name Inuyasha. Such an uncommon name. A strange word he remembered asking for a translation from his late wife so clearly. _So_ clearly. Still, memory was a strange thing and while he remembered the name, the rest of the explanation his late wife has given him slipped away into the forgotten annuls of time.

"I wish she was here," he muttered dejectedly to himself as he came across yet another line of unfamiliar kanji and his heart crept into his throat, "She knew all of the legends like the back of her hand. A true shrine keeper's daughter."

Perhaps he had a type. He had married one shrine keeper's daughter and now was courting another. His lips twitched upwards at the thought. It made sense. Who else would actually believe the things he'd seen and done? Who else would be so forgiving of the crimes he had committed in the name of medicine?

Turning his attention back to the volume in his hand, he furrowed his brow and brought the book closer to his face. It was a rather bland book of poetry. Much of the phrases and meanings lost to time. Compiled and bound by some well-meaning individual for future use but there was something different about this page in particular. The paper had a different texture – much smoother than the other pieces of parchment and the ink had clearly at one point been blue. That wasn't the only distinguishable difference either. While the rest of the page was in traditional haiku form, at the very bottom of the page was a strange message that didn't quite fit.

"Before you cast this spell, know that you are taking your life in your hands and it won't end well for you. You will die before they do," he read aloud in a hushed yet confused tone before he flipped to the next page then back, "Are these…are these _spells_?"

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In the light of the moon, the calm, tranquil water seemed to shimmer with an unnatural beauty as several serpentine soul collectors danced across its surface towards their mistress who sat forlornly on a fallen log. Regaling her with their findings, the dead priestess grimaced and visibly deflated – showing much more emotion than anyone had ever seen before.

"So Inuyasha's mind continues to be sealed," Kikyo murmured dejectedly to herself as she waved a single hand in clear dismissal, "Trapped until a key is found. Have I truly succumbed to such evil as this? What have I become? How many mistakes must I make before the world sees fit to strike me down?"

Placing her hands in her lap, she stared down at them as though they offended her by existing, "Neither human or a demon. Neither alive or dead. Alone in a world filled with only scorn and derision. Fitting that I had to die to understand how deeply that cuts into the soul and all I have done since discovering this truth is make matters worse."

Sighing heavily, Kikyo closed her eyes as her face crumpled in pain and her lips formed a thin line before she spoke to herself once more, "Why did I act so cruelly? What wrong had he truly committed against me? Yet I starved him. Tortured him. Sentenced him to a fate worse than death. My motives and actions are unforgivable. Perhaps, though, there might still be enough time to make things right."

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At first, he'd felt better despite the chains weighing him down. His strength had returned to him as had his long locks. Now, however, as quickly as his strength had come it faded away once more. His skin had sunken so much that he looked little better than a skeleton and his hair once again fell out in clumps. He'd taken to closing his eyes – as fruitless as it had seemed in the unrelenting darkness – in an attempt to suck himself into that deeper place he'd so often withdrawn into whenever he felt more pain than any physical body – demonic or no – could ever imagine possible. Usually it subsided thanks to his heritage but here in the darkness it was unyielding. Such a strange thing to exist in a corporeal form that wasn't truly there. To experience dying in nothing more than a horrifically realistic dream. From time to time, his eyelids grew heavy and drooped as his heart faltered in his chest. He was dying. Dying. All alone.

"Inuyasha?" came a soft, scared voice that had his dropping eyelids fluttering open and a soft, weary smile grow on his face, "Are you there?"

"Yeah," came his breathy, hoarse reply as he cast his blurry vision around in the darkness – his knees buckling slightly in relief when Kagome shimmered into existence before him – pushing away the darkness and bringing with her a small pocket of white light. Her nimble fingers gently stroked his cheek and it took everything he had not to weep.

"We're trying to figure out how to free you," she whispered reassuringly as she cupped his cheek and ran her thumb across the raw skin, "Please hold on."

"I'm trying," he chuckled darkly as his paler than normal amber eyes fought to focus on her face, "I'm just tired is all. I'm fine."

"You're not," Kagome sighed wearily as she bit her lip and visibly deflated before adding in a slightly teasing tone, "You look like hell."

"Had worse," he retorted as he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch while his lips twitched upwards, "Can't think of a time right now but it'll come to me."

"I've sealed Greed up," Kagome informed him softly as she leaned forward to press her lips against his temple, "And we're going to go see Master Mushin in the morning to see if he knows anything."

"I'm glad," Inuyasha replied honestly as he gave her a tired smile and his eyes fluttered closed, "I know you'll figure it out."

"You'll hold on?" Kagome whispered desperately as she saw his desperate attempt to keep his eyes open. The way his entire body seemed to be giving out and the way his limbs shook from the effort of keeping him upright, "You promise you'll hold on?"

"Promise," he slurred tiredly as he turned his face to nuzzle her hand with his nose and his knees gave out causing him to painfully crumple onto the ground – which surprised him...the chains had never given him any option to rest before. He wasn't sure whether or not that was a good sign. Kagome, for her part, attempted to soften his descent to the ground and seemed to follow his line of thought.

"I love you," Kagome whispered tearfully as she took his face in both hand and pressed a chaste kiss on his dry, cracked lips, "I promise…I'll…"

And just like that she vanished leaving him all alone. In pain. In the darkness.


	19. Fetch - Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Trying to get ahead on Inuvember and my Halloween story! Will finish this one before the other is published! Promise! Only a few more chapters on this one!**

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The seals weren't the most powerful he'd ever encountered. That was for damn sure. All it took was for that stupid doctor to remove one – just one! – and he had managed to break free. Not that he was stuck at all, mind you. Just didn't feel like being zapped. Yeah. Just worried about being zapped is all.

"She didn't go far," Greed chuckled darkly as he darted unsteadily across the smooth pavement towards the well house, "Probably stayed in that stupid village too no doubt."

It also helped that the annoying voice of reason in his head was growing fainter and fainter with each passing day. Two days now and his protests were barely more than a whisper while Greed's strength merely grew. As that thought crossed his mind, he grinned a feral grin and burst straight through the wellhouse door before arriving at the well itself. Pausing, if just for a moment, he pondered his course of action. On the one hand, if he went through the well, he might as well set himself up for failure. Enough of his predecessors memories had returned for him to know that a powerful monk, demon slayer and two mikos with the power to destroy him awaited him on the other side. Three of the four, however, he was sure wouldn't shoot to kill. Not if they could help it. He needed to play this smart. Maim or seriously injure but not kill. Maim, grab that damn jewel and run like hell? Or maybe he really should just kill them all and just be done with it.

Huffing in frustration, Greed paced the wellhouse a few times before seemingly coming to a decision and jumping into the well headfirst.

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"God he looks like he's dying again," Kagome choked as Sango fretted over her friend that had woken with a start only a few minutes before. Sutras had been placed around the village to create a barrier – at the emaciated and clearly dying dream Inuyasha's urging – as Greed had been plotting escape for the past two days.

"He was doing better," Kagome continued miserably as she buried her face in her hands, "When I first found him…the real him…he was doing better."

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Sango soothed in as confident a tone as she could muster as she glanced over at the monk who looked as lost as she felt before turning her attention back to her friend, "Kaede has gone to seek Kikyo. Maybe she'll tell her sister what she wouldn't dare tell us."

"We should've gone with her," Kagome sniffled as she pulled her knees up to her chest and fat tears began streaming down her cheeks, "We all should've gone with her."

"Lady Kaede told us to stay here until she returned," Miroku cut in wearily before releasing a long sigh, "I must agree I find it doubtful even one such as Kikyo would curse her own flesh and blood."

"I hope you're right about that," Kagome muttered tearfully as she buried her face, "I really hope you're right."

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The heat of the summer sun beat down on her back and the leather reins rubbed soon-to-be blisters between her already withered fingers. The elderly mule beneath her was just about as old as she was. His neck was lathered in thick sweat, curling the short, stiff hairs as he trudged along at her insistence.

"Ye are doing well," Kaede chuckled when the mule let out a frustrated snort as they passed by yet another spring, "I sense my sister's presence up ahead and then ye will have rest."

If she were being honest with herself, she knew it was probably a suicide mission to meet with her undead, bitterly angry sister. When they were young, it seemed like she was all powerful and all knowing. It had taken her rebirth to show the elderly matron how wrong that was. Her sister was as prideful in death as she had been in life. Always believing she had all the answers and that her way was best. Still, this latest curse seemed to have nothing to do with Naraku or his defeat. Much of her other seemingly impulsive behavior as of late could – in a very warped way – be explained as Kikyo being Kikyo and thinking her plans were beyond anything anyone else could concoct. Foolish plans driven by her own pride. No, this matter was altogether personal if she had to guess. She was far too young. Far too bitter.

"So they've sent you to vanquish me, have they?" Kikyo's melancholy voice called out followed by a bitter laugh, "Or did you volunteer to be the one to end my miserable existence?"

"Neither sister," Kaede sighed as she slid off her small mule and groaned when she straightened up, "Ye have cursed Inuyasha and now his body is possessed by another. I merely came seeking information."

"I don't know how to turn him back," Kikyo admitted softly as she came into view – her body lazily sprawled out along a low lying tree branch as her soul catchers flitted aimlessly around her, "To be honest, I knew very little about the spell when I cast it."

"And yet ye treated him abysmally," Kaede chided as she hobbled over to the base of the tree and peered upwards, "Ye have been a fool."

"I am aware," Kikyo sighed in a very angsty teen fashion as she turned her head to look down at her surprised looking sibling, "That girl undid the spell, Kaede. Whatever possession is occurring is unrelated."

"His soul remains trapped," Kaede corrected tersely as she sighed heavily and shook her head, "What has possession of him now is the worst part of himself. Greed, rage, pride. I fear he will cause much damage."

"Let me guess," Kikyo answered in a morbidly amused tone as she chuckled darkly, "You were faced with two options. Kill him or see if I could break the lingering remnants of the curse. You picked what seemed like the lesser of two evils I presume."

"Ye have assumed correctly," Kaede acknowledged sagely before adding in a weary tone, "But ye's reply has made me realize ye have no better idea how to remedy this problem than I."

"He'll come for the girl," Kikyo whispered sadly just as Kaede turned to leave, "He'll try to kill her to get the shards."

"Aye, I imagine he will try," Kaede replied in a tired, exhausted sounding voice, "I just hope the spell will be broken before blood is spilt."

"Is she staying in the village?" Kikyo asked in an emotionless tone as she lolled her head to better look at her sister – who had once again paused and glanced over her hunched shoulder to give her sister a suspicious look.

"Aye, she and the others are in the village," Kaede replied as she turned to once again mount her pathetic looking mule. As soon as she settled, the elderly miko turned her horse but not before speaking her final peace.

"I am disappointed in ye," Kaede sighed as she met her sister's stricken gaze, "Ye have suffered so much and yet learned so little. What a pity. Would it be wrong to hope that our paths never cross again?"

Kikyo lay on that tree branch for the next hour staring in shock at the spot where the little sister she always assumed adored her – even now – had in so many words told her to piss off.


	20. Fetch - Chapter 20

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It had been two weeks since the girl discovered he'd gone missing. Since she discovered who and what he really was. She'd taken precautions to keep him at bay. Her irritating ability to sense his aura maddening in it's accuracy. It didn't help either that she kept sealing the well behind her every time she went to the other side to prevent him from trying to follow her.

Tonight, however, he would be human. She couldn't very well sense him without his aura and it would be all too easy to get the upper hand. That equally infuriating monk and that snobbish slayer were supposedly out there checking the perimeter of the village. No one had even thought to check the shrine the girl often frequented to discover a cure. It was all too easy to slip past their piss poor attempts at protection and hide as soon as the sun went down. All too easy.

Even with his human ears, he could hear her delicate footsteps as they traveled up those cold stone steps. From his hiding place, he could see the soft glow of those jewel shards in that bottle around her neck. It was almost too easy. She wasn't even armed.

"But suddenly an angel has smiled at me and kissed my cheek without a trace of fright," Kagome hummed absently to herself in a language he didn't recognize as she played with the thin vine around her neck and smiled to herself while she waltzed to the tune only she could hear, "I dare to dream that she might even care for me and as I ring these bells tonight, my cold dark tower seems to bright. I swear it must be heaven's light."

 _'What the hell?'_ Greed thought with no lack of distain as he adjusted his position to be a little deeper amongst the books and papers, ' _Crazy bitch is talking in tongues or some shit. What the literal shit did he ever see in her?'_

"That's one thing I can say," Kagome chuckled to herself as she entered the small shrine and closed the open door behind her and turned to fiddle with the candles, "I have more time to study and catch up on things I missed. I can almost watch that movie without subtitles now. I think Inuyasha would like that one though. I'll have to get the Japanese one for him as a treat. Not that he'd watch it, but he might. Okay, so…"

Her words were cut short when the human Greed suddenly slinked from his hiding place and held one hand tightly against her throat while the other expertly twisted her arm painfully around her back.

"You humans are so stupid," he chuckled darkly as he yanked the twisted arm earning a soft cry of pain from the panicking girl in his arms, "Leaving you unprotected tonight. You seriously never even considered that I might be human right now, did you? You'll be dead before they even realize I'm here."

As much as she tried to force a scream out of her throat, it simply wouldn't come, and she cursed her lack of foresight. Everyone except for Kaede had taken up positions around the perimeter just in case he tried something. It never occurred to them that he might somehow make his way through. Not with their protections.

 _'I'm so stupid,'_ Kagome groaned internally as her mind raced for a solution and she glanced around for something to grab. The window to the outside was open and she seriously considered trying to break free and jump out it when signs of an even more dangerous predator suddenly snaked past her window. A hint of glowing silver just beneath the open window.

 _"You guys are literally the worst guards ever,"_ Kagome sighed heavily to herself as she rolled her eyes and all hope of salvation fled her mind. Greed was one thing but Greed and Kikyo together? Oh, she was as good as dead. Truly and utterly screwed. How the hell did no one notice not one but two enemies making their way into the village? _Honestly_.

"Inuyasha," came a familiar voice that sent chills down her spine as the door gently swung open exposing the undead miko surrounded by her horde of silver serpents, "It's been some time."

 _'Seriously?'_ Kagome huffed silently as she was pulled backwards when Greed took a step back and placed her in front of him like a human shield. This literally had to be the worst day in the history of days.

"I'm sorry but Inuyasha isn't here at the moment," Greed snorted as he tightened his grip around Kagome's windpipe earning a pained choking sound. Struggling, Kagome's blue eyes widened in panic as she began clawing desperately with her free hand at the iron grip cutting off her air supply. It was a futile effort, of course, for even in human form Inuyasha was damningly strong.

"Release the girl," Kikyo replied calmly as she cast an impassive glance at her reincarnation before turning her attention back to him, "I will gladly collect the jewel shards on your behalf including the ones in her possession. The honor of killing her is mine after all."

 _'Oh god, really?!'_ Kagome groaned mentally even as Greed's grip lessened ever so, and he uttered a confused, "Wait, what? You'd help me?"

"Of course," Kikyo replied in that infuriating emotionless tone before she held out her hand and exposed her palm whereupon several jewel shards sat, "As a showing of good faith, take these."

Keeping his grip on Kagome, Greed narrowed his eyes in suspicion but whatever conflicting emotions he was feeling didn't stop his feet moving forward. Kagome – for her part – was trying desperately to figure out some type of way to call for help. It was insane to her that no one had noticed yet.

"It's no use. My barrier has hidden his presence and mine very well. No one will come for you," Kikyo replied to her unspoken question, "It'll be all over before they can interfere. I'll make it as painless as I can."

"That's **_comforting_** ," Kagome bit back sarcastically as her struggles renewed with a vengeance. She had never been good at physical fighting – something Sango had repeatedly offered to teach her due to her amazing knack to get kidnapped at almost every battle but which she refused for reasons that completely escaped her at the moment. Still, she did the most logical thing she could think to do in that situation and so, closing her eyes, she pulled back her arm with all the force she could muster and elbowed Greed straight in the jaw.

"God dammit bitch that hurt!" Greed bellowed angrily – his grip on her not lessening in the slightest as he used his leverage on her arm to force her onto her knees.

"That was foolish," Kikyo sneered as she sent her reincarnation a withering glare – her palm remaining outstretched for the human Greed to take at his leisure, "My offer stands. Join me and together we shall find all the jewel shards."

"What do you get out of this?" Greed scoffed as he dealt a hard blow against Kagome's head for good measure before turning his attention back to the newcomer, "Besides I don't need you to help me find them."

"My payment is to end that girl's miserable existence," Kikyo insisted as she stared at those cold violet eyes with a cold glare of her own, "Release the girl and allow me my vengeance. You may take the shards, both hers and mine, and do what you will."

 _'Seriously, she has got to be the worst person on the planet,'_ Kagome thought miserably as she fought to stay conscious and began failing miserably. Swaying where she knelt, she found herself toppling to the ground when the humanoid hanyou released her and took a step towards the undead miko. Blinking sluggishly, Kagome tried her best to force her body to get up to fight only to have it reject her orders to do so. This was it. This was how she died. At Kikyo's hand with Inuyasha standing right there grinning as she the life bled from her eyes. It was worse than any nightmare her poor mind could've concocted. Never in a million years would she had ever thought Inuyasha would have let Kikyo hurt her. But this wasn't Inuyasha. It wasn't.

"I'll make it painless," she fuzzily heard Kikyo chuckle darkly as a cold hand placed itself on her back and Kagome's entire body convulsed as a sharp cry of pain escaped her lips. Every single fiber of her body screamed in agony as the undead miko drew out her soul. A thousand times worse than the first time around, escalating to ever new heights until suddenly, it stopped. Blinking a few times, Kagome found herself lying amidst a blanket of darkness that had no beginning and no end. Hours passed, and she found herself content to merely lay there, completely exhausted from this turn of events. All hope drained from her very soul until…

"Kagome? **_Kagome_**?!" came a scared sounding familiar voice from all around her, "No. _No_. **_No_**."

"Inuyasha? Where are you?" Kagome asked bewilderedly into the darkness as she pushed herself into a sitting position and glanced around her, "Are you here?"

"I didn't…oh god, no, no, no. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the hanyou's voice sobbed uncontrollably – again echoing a thousand times over in the darkness without him ever appearing. His voice breaking as he pleaded desperately, "Please. Please don't leave me. Come back. Come back to me. Please."

"I must've died," Kagome gasped as her hand flew up to her mouth in horror and tears welled in the corners of her eyes, "Oh my god, I died and… and that saved him."

"Your death didn't save him. Mine did," came the last voice she wanted to hear in that moment. Out of the darkness came the figure of the undead miko with a sad little smile on her face, "You'll be fine in a few moments, don't fret."

"What the hell did you do Kikyo?!" Kagome bellowed hoarsely as Inuyasha's desperate pleas for her return echoed in heart wrenching sobs all around them, "You took my soul. How long have I been here?!"

"Not very long," Kikyo admitted with an indifferent shrug, "Just long enough for me to restrain the corporeal form of the man we loved and make my escape. With my soul complete, I did the only logical thing. I killed myself."

"What about that is logical?!" Kagome screamed hysterically as she collapsed onto her knees and threw her hands up in frustration, "We're dead! You killed us both! How is anything about this logical?!"

"Our death was necessary to break the spell. You are me and I am you," Kikyo explained with an exasperated sigh, "My death alone did nothing."

"This is stupid," Kagome bit back bitterly, "This is so…"

"I have ordered my soul collectors to return your soul to you. I'm confident that you will shortly be reunited with a perfectly healed Inuyasha," Kikyo sighed as though weary of this exchange as she turned to walk into the darkness, "All I ask is that in time you both find it in your hearts to forgive my behavior."

"What…" Kagome began in a confused tone before she found herself staring into the relieved, blotchy face of the humanoid hanyou with a watery grin on his face. Before she had time to completely wrap her mind around this turn of events, she was pulled into a tight embrace as Inuyasha continued to sob in relief.

"You were _dead_ ," he choked as he buried his nose into her shoulder and held her tighter still, "I…I woke up and you…you weren't… I… I thought…."

He couldn't quite force what he wanted to say out of his mouth, so he resigned himself to clutching her to him like he was afraid she'd disappear if he released her. Slowly maneuvering her onto his lap, he rocked slightly – either to calm her or himself it wasn't clear, as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. In a way, the gesture was endearing. Even as a human, her scent brought him comfort.

"I'm fine," Kagome finally managed to mutter quietly as she nuzzled into her chest and closed her eyes, "I'm fine."

"I thought I killed you," he finally breathed in barely more than a whisper, "When… when I woke up, you… the bruises on your neck Kagome. _God,_ I thought… I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

"It wasn't you," Kagome soothed as she pulled back to look at his tear stained face and reached up to cup his cheek, "It wasn't you."

"What do you mean? Of _course,_ it was me. Those _bruises_?" Inuyasha began as tears began welling in the corners of his eyes once more, "Please don't lie to me about…"

"It was Kikyo. Kikyo took my soul," Kagome began slowly as she shifted to sit in front of him instead of in his lap, "She took my soul and made the piece she had whole. Then… then I guess she… she killed herself."

Cringing at how that sounded, the miko averted her eyes and dropped her hands into her lap as she continued, "So it wasn't you but… but I guess…"

"Because the piece of soul she _had_ was yours," Inuyasha murmured miserably as he reached forward and pulled her into his chest, "You both had to die. If that's the case, how are you here? Not that I'm complaining but…"

"I saw her for a moment when… when I was on the other side," Kagome began tentatively as she wrapped her arms around him in turn, "She said her soul catcher was ordered to deliver my soul back to me."

"I was here the entire time and I didn't see one," Inuyasha breathed shakily as he glanced around before resting his chin atop her head, "No little orb. Nothing."

"Then I don't know," Kagome murmured softly, "But… but at least you're safe and back in one piece."

"Wouldn't have been worth it without you," he admitted hoarsely as he buried his nose into her hair, "I'd rather spend a lifetime in that hellhole than one second knowing there was no Kagome in the world."

"Well, I guess the important thing is that we're okay," the miko replied softly as she pulled back to look into his eyes, "It's over now and we…."

"FOX FIRE!" came a desperate war cry as a blast of turquoise flame suddenly flew through the open shrine doors and enveloped the humanoid hanyou, "TAKE THAT YOU…"

"Shippo stop! The spell broke! It's actually Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as Inuyasha batted at the small flames clinging to his form – cursing all the way, "Shippo! **_Stop_**!"

"Kagome-chan! We're so sorry! We didn't…" Sango began breathlessly as she slid into a defensive position in front of her friend and turned an angry gaze at the annoyed looking human boy in front of him, "Wait... you said the curse was broken?"

"Long story," Inuyasha groaned as he glared at the fox kit who didn't look the least bit ashamed he'd set him on fire, "But yeah, it's actually me so don't do that shit again. 'Kay? _Thanks_."

"Well, that was unexpected. Tell me, how _was_ the curse broken," Miroku asked as he strode through the doors and gave the hanyou a suspicious glare, "It all seems a little too convenient if you ask me."

"Convenient!" Inuyasha gasped angrily as he held his fists so tightly by his side that the knuckles turned white, "Do you have any idea what I've been through?! What Kagome went through tonight alone?! She died Miroku! She had to _die_ to set me free and you call that **_convenient_**?!"

"If she did indeed die, how is she standing before us now?" Miroku pressed as he cast a furtive glance at Kagome to verify this story, "She seems very well at the moment."

"I did die but like he said, it's a long story and it's been a rough few hours," Kagome sighed hoarsely as she stepped around Sango and moved to stand beside Inuyasha, "Why don't I meet you all tomorrow and I'll explain everything then?"

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Inuyasha scoffed indignantly as he lightly gripped her arm, "You died Kagome! You died! I'm not letting you just…"

"I'm going home to sleep in my bed because I've had a hell of a day," Kagome clipped as she turned a withering glare at the humanoid hanyou, "And so have you by the way so if you'd like to join me, I'm sure I could arrange for some late-night ramen for you."

"Oh," Inuyasha replied sheepishly as he released her arm and blushed furiously, "Well…that's okay, I guess."

"I _guess_. You know _honestly_ , I don't…." Kagome snorted in contempt as she turned to walk down the steps. The rest of that conversation devolved into their typical argument between the miko and the hanyou who left their friends staring after them – all exchanging glances of mixed confusion, relief and amusement in the pair's wake.


	21. Epilogue

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 **Fetch**

 ** _Epilogue_ **

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Kagome stared in mild shock at the yellowing photograph in her hands that a brilliantly beaming Dr. Ortiz had just handed her. They were much older, yes. Perhaps around sixty or maybe even seventy but knowing him as she did there was no mistaking that smug half-grin of his and it would take a fool not to recognize oneself no matter how much older or younger you may seem.

"I _knew_ I had seen that name before," he chuckled proudly as he took the photograph and flipped it so she could read the inscription better, "Hayashi Inuyasha and wife, National Industrial Exposition, Osaka, 1903. Supposedly they were my wife's great-grandparents but she never met them and they supposedly died in the atomic blast at Nagasaki. Quite the coincidence wouldn't you say?"

 _'Well I know where not to be during World War II. I imagine that's just a cover story anyway,'_ Kagome thought to herself as her lips curled upwards and she grinned when the good doctor gave her a knowing wink, "Yes, quite a coincidence. Are there any others?"

As it turned out, there were many others. Her name wasn't listed anywhere on the photographs, for a reason probably – this very reason most likely. Pictures of them with children, and grandchildren. Pictures of them with another couple roughly the same age that looked suspiciously like a certain monk and slayer they knew. The last name they'd apparently chosen seemed fitting as well. After all, it only made sense to keep the namesake. The Inuyasha of Inuyasha's Forest became Inuyasha Forest himself.

"These are wonderful," Kagome breathed as she finally handed them back to the happy looking doctor who placed the photograph back into the box whence it cane, "I always loved learning about history."

"Ah yes, well, you can't know where you're _going_ unless you know where you've _been_ ," the doctor teased before signing and giving her an apologetic smile, "I'm very sorry that I couldn't have been more help. I am glad that he recovered on his own. Demon physiology is a fascinating thing."

"It is indeed," Kagome hummed in agreement before bowing once out of respect, "Thank you for inviting me to see them and I understand you'll be coming by later for dinner. I'll see you then?"

"Of course, _future_ Hayashi-san. I wouldn't miss it," he replied as he bowed and gave her an affectionate smile. He watched the young woman as she left and ran towards the subway station only to be snatched up by a red blur moments later. He didn't know how he never noticed it before. Kagome, her mother and indeed his late wife all shared that same brilliant smile. Their eyes shaped so much alike. Their demeanor so similar. Fate was such a funny thing and there was no denying destiny. Speaking of which, he had better start preparing that desert he promised.


End file.
